


Genso Suikoden V: Worlds Collide

by HerPrettySmile



Category: Bleach, Fairy Tail, Final Fantasy VIII, Suikoden V
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Battle, Canon - Original Game, Developing Friendships, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Female Friendship, Friendship, Games, Gen, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Novelization, Other, Romance, Royalty, Team, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Teamwork, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-09 18:40:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11110539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerPrettySmile/pseuds/HerPrettySmile
Summary: In order to find their way back home, Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Erza decide to seek the help of Sol-Falena's Prince. Little do they know that it is not only them who have come to this world…[Mainly Fairy Tail and Suikoden V; Later on: Final Fantasy VII, VIII, X, Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach minor crossovers; NaLu, CloTi, NaruSakuSasu, IchiRuki, and others]NOTE: You don't need to know Suikoden V or Fairy Tail to read this fic. Same with the other crossovers. It will all be explained thoroughly in the story, especially their descriptions and their own stories.[This is also written for fandom-blind readers]





	1. Prologue

**Genso Suikoden V:** Worlds Collide

[ **[** _Finding the 208 Stars of Destiny_ **]** ]

_:_

.

_:_

.

_:_

.

_:_

"Are the preparations complete?"

"Not yet, sire."

"How much more time do you need? _Now_ is the perfect time to carry out the plan!"

"It is still lacking the necessary amount of magic power, sire."

" _Still_?!"

"Yes, sire."

"…Then I suppose we will have to use the new recruits."

"How many, sire?"

"There are 10,000 of them. _Use them all_. I want it to be done in two days. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sire."

When the door closed, the shadow standing in the center of the room gave a satisfied smile.

_At long last… After many years…_

* * *

•••

* * *

Two days later, the world crumbled. Everyone felt it at midnight, but after seeing that there seemed to be nothing amiss, they all dismissed it as a figment of their imagination.

Little did they know that the chaos which would soon wreak havoc upon the land was just about to begin.

* * *

**tbc**


	2. The Beginning

 

" _Prince_! There it is, Sol Falena!"

The speaker, a young girl in her teens with dark-coloured hair and large dark-blue eyes, grasped the railing tightly while smiling. Her skin was a pale white, yet not unhealthy-looking. Her features were the picture of childlike innocence, yet the outfit she wore contrasted with her appearance. She wore the standard Queen's Knight uniform but with noticeable alterations done as to give off the uniqueness of her person. A sheathed sword was neatly placed at her side and an almost unnoticeable small pack containing two deadly daggers were positioned inside the upper part of her boots. The way Lyon carried herself was a mixture of obliviousness yet with a hidden guarded persona.

The person she was talking to stepped forward, a nostalgic smile lighting up his features. With one look, you could tell that he emitted a regal aura, yet there was a softness to him that made him slightly different from his peers. His bright silver hair, a symbol of the Falenan Royal Family, was tied into a long, thin braid at the back with a small red lace. He was also a bit taller than average, and his body looked fit enough to complement his handsome appearance. However, due to his innocuous sapphire-blue eyes that were framed by his long lashes and his smooth, fair complexion, Freyjadour Falenas was usually described by the others as a pansy-looking person.

 _"Finally,_  home. I'm really not sure how to feel about this, though, after all we've been through…" a woman spoke, her eyes which were the same shade as the Prince's softening at the sight of the floating palace. Emitting the same regal bearing as her nephew, Sialeeds Falenas looked every bit as royal as she actually was. She donned a fashionable-looking outfit which she designed herself and had tailored by a famous expert and her light-chestnut hair was done in a curly side 'do that often hid her right eye. She almost always gave off an uncaring, casual vibe, however, and the way she spoke made her seem like a normal person. The people around her, on the other hand, deeply admire her due to her good head in politics and also because of her beauty.

"Lyon, you must feel like your burden's been lifted a little, huh?" she added.

Lyon looked surprised. "But, Lady Sialeeds…" she said almost immediately with something akin to pride on her face. "I've never once thought being the Prince's bodyguard was any kind of burden! Whether in the Imperial Capital or away, I'll always gladly do whatever it takes to protect the Prince!"

"Being a bodyguard is different from baby-sitting, you know. Make sure you don't overprotect him," a tall, imposing-looking Queen's Knight told the young girl. He was a man with an intimidating aura and posture, coupled with his short black hair and olive-green eyes in which an eyepatch covered the right one. Georg Prime looked like he could kill you with one strike, and he had the skills to exactly do so. With his lean, muscular body and the wary, guarded aura he always seemed to give off, some people were scared to even go near him.

Lyon looked slightly offended. "I'm not ' _baby-sitting_ ' anyone, Georg!" she said almost defiantly. "And even if I was, so long as the Prince is safe, that's all that matters."

Sialeeds giggled pleasantly. "Isn't my nephew a lucky boy, then?" she cooed.

Georg gave a short laugh. " _Heh_! Sure is!"

At that moment, the sound of vomiting pierced the air, causing the aforementioned person to glance at the people who were not too far behind him.

"Hey, are you four all right there?" Georg called out.

"Ah, please don't mind us," a girl no older than nineteen informed him. "Our teammate Natsu over there just has motion sickness."

"He's no good with any type of transportation," the guy beside her agreed.

"Ah, I see," Georg said, nodding briefly in understanding.

The trio before him was actually a sight to behold. Since they were not from this world, their outfits naturally differed from the usual customs.

The lone girl was an authoritative-looking woman with long, vibrant scarlet-red hair and sharp brown eyes. She radiated a no-nonsense aura about her, and from what Georg had gathered, she seemed like a polite, responsible person who took her duties seriously, like an upright, loyal soldier. Also, her features were arranged in such a way that she looked very pretty once you get past her intimidating expression. She wore what seemed to be a Heart Kreuz armour, a plain blue skirt that was about two shades darker, and brown boots. She called herself Erza Scarlet, an S-Class mage of the guild Fairy Tail in their world.

The guy beside her was almost as serious-looking as she was. He had dark, messy hair and equally dark, narrowed eyes. He wore a white coat over a dark-blue shirt with a brown ' **X** ' on the front as a design. He also donned brown pants along with black sandals. His features were what you could say handsome and rugged, but there was a mystery and intensity about them as well which added a cool sort of look to his appearance. He called himself Gray Fullbuster.

The other guy they were with, who was currently hurling at the side, was rather exotic as well. He had spiky salmon-pink hair and dark-coloured, slanted eyes. He wore what seemed to be a open black tunic with orange trimmings, held at the waist by a black belt. It was, however, covered by a red long-sleeved vest which was buttoned open as well, revealing the front of his chest down to his midriff. He also donned white trousers as well as black sandals. His appearance, on the other hand, was casual and goofy, though sometimes more in an aesthetically pleasing manner rather than a goofball idiot. His name was Natsu Dragneel.

What was more unusual was the blue feline beside him, actually. It looked like a normal cat, though with rare blue fur, but the wings it sprouted on its back spoke otherwise of the idea of it as a normal animal. The three of them referred to it as 'Happy' and said that he was a mage just like the three of them. He appeared to be comforting Natsu, though Georg couldn't tell what he was saying due to the distance between them.

They had encountered the four of them during their way back from their business trip and needless to say, their story was certainly outrageous, yet none of them ever doubted it was a lie. The sincerity in their eyes told Georg all he needed to know. At first, though, the latter was hesitant to help them since they had absolutely no clue as to what they should do to bring them back to their homeland. Frey, however, had stepped up and made the decision for him. The young Prince had always been very kind, always willing to help others in need. Unlike Georg, Frey believed that they would find a way to help them.

It was a battle which Georg had no qualms about losing.

"I'd have to warn you, though," Sialeeds said, placing a hand on her hip while eyeing the four mages tentatively. "The people at home don't take well to others treating the Royal Family with informal speech, so it would be best for you four to speak the right words."

"Do not worry, Lady Sialeeds," Erza said promptly. "I shall teach them how to be polite." Slowly, she turned her head towards the three males, and suddenly to them her face became dark and her eyes were glaring blood-red daggers at them, causing them to freeze in fear. "…Isn't that  _right_ , you three?"

"Y—Yes, Erza-sama!" they stammered in unison.

"Good."

"Oh, and that goes for you too, Georg," Lyon prodded. "When we get back, you'd better watch how you talk. Be polite and use the proper forms of address, okay?"

"You know, you are ever  _so_  right, Lyon!" Sialeeds exclaimed dramatically. "Georg may have forgotten, but I  _am_  the younger sister of our glorious Queen." She took a few steps towards the mentioned man and continued on, making graceful gestures in the air as she spoke. "One's language must always reflect one's social standing. Wouldn't you agree, Sir Georg Prime of the Queen's Knights?"

Georg looked like he was about to roll his eyes, but preferred to shake his head slightly and turn away from her instead. "Aw, shaddup, Sialeeds," he remarked.

Sialeeds placed both hands on her hips, looking playfully offended. " _Hmph_! How dare you address royalty that way!"

"…Well, that's the Georg we all know and love, so he can get away with it when it's just the three of us," Lyon interjected, smiling faintly. But then, in her next words, her expression crumbled slightly, giving her an apprehensive look. "But if Her Majesty hears a Queen's Knight addressing the Prince improperly, there'll be trouble, Georg. And think of Ferid, too! After all, he's the one who recommended you to the Queen's Knights in the first place…"

"Hmph, don't worry," Georg said casually. "I'm used to court service, you know. I can take care of myself." He crossed his arms. "But, jeez, lighten up! I thought the Queendom of Falena had more of a laid-back reputation than this."

"Considering the fact that they let someone like  _you_  become a knight, I think it's laid-back enough!" Sialeeds jested. "…But even  _I'm_  afraid of my own sister right now. We really can't afford to make Arshtat mad!" Before she could add more, however, she recognized the slowing of the boat. "Look sharp now, guys," she advised, looking at the harbour. "We're about to arrive."

"All hands, prepare to dock!" the captain of the ship announced.

From their viewpoint, exactly twelve soldiers were perfectly lined up before the waters, preparing their welcome greetings.

Georg looked briefly thoughtful. "I haven't been in this country for too long, so correct me if I'm wrong…" He folded his arms across his chest and turned to Sialeeds. "…but isn't this kind of a pathetic welcome for the Queen's sister and the Prince?"

"Yeah, well, what else can we expect?" Sialeeds said. "In Falena, male royalty aren't in line for the throne, so they aren't very important. And neither am I, apparently."

Beside them, Frey looked downcast.

Lyon, noticing his behaviour, waved a hand in front of her charge's face. "Prince?" she said worriedly. "Are you all right?"

Frey snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile.

The ship eventually came to a stop a few minutes later, rendering Natsu free of his suffering. In no time he was up and about, looking ready to cause trouble. Erza, however, beat him to the punch.

"Hold it," she said in a dangerous voice as she grabbed him by the back of his clothes. "Do you remember what I said about  _manners_ , Natsu?

" _Yes_ , Erza-sama!" Natsu immediately said, sweating profusely.

"Good. The four of us have to work on being unnoticed. We will stay at the back, understood?"

"Yeah, we hear you, Erza," Gray said, grabbing Natsu's sleeve and dragging him down the stairs. "Hey, flame brain. If we screw up, Erza will kill us  _both._  Got that?" he whispered.

"I  _know_!" Natsu said, annoyed.

"I'll just hide behind you, Natsu," Happy said, perching on his best friend's back.

Consequently, trumpet music began to sound from the soldiers who were lined up a few feet apart beside them, temporarily deafening Natsu's sensitive ears. Gray and Erza, on the other hand, were observing their surroundings, looking awed and guarded at the same time.

"His Royal Highness Prince Freyjadour and Lady Sialeeds have returned!" an envoy announced after the greeting music stopped. "Prince Frey! Lady Sialeeds! Welcome home!"

Both royals gave prompt nods.

"So, back from Lordlake! You must be exhausted. How was your trip?" the envoy asked.

Georg closed his eyes. "Don't even ask…"

" _Ugh_! I just want to pretend it never happened," Sialeeds said, looking faintly stressed.

The envoy looked understandably confused. "Pardon?"

"Just… Never mind!" Lyon said, forcing a smile.

"I… I see…Uh, about those three—"

"They're with us," Georg said promptly. "Don't worry about them."

"A—Ah, I see," the envoy stammered. "Ahem! In any case, Queen Arshtat is waiting. Please, if you would make your way to the Sun Palace…"

"Oh, that's not necessary," Sialeeds said, waving her hand dismissively. "We can go there ourselves. Besides, we would like to give our guests a tour of Sol Falena since they're new here."

"Is that all right with you?" Lyon added with a smile.

"O—Of course, Your Highness!" was the eager reply.

When the envoy and the soldiers went on their way and disappeared around the corner, Sialeeds heaved a sigh.

"Whoa, so this is your home?!" Natsu said in awe, effectively breaking the ice. "It's so cool!"

Lyon gave him a smile. "Yes. It's basically like a floating land on the seas of the Feitas," she said proudly.

"… _F_ — _Floating_ …?" Natsu turned into a sickly shade of green. "Wait, this isn't like a boat, is it…?"

"Hey, this isn't transportation, you moron," Gray said snidely.

" _What_  did you call me?!"

"Why? You wanna go, huh?" In no time, Gray balled up his fists, looking ready to fight.

Natsu did the same. "Yeah!" he roared.

"That's enough out of you two!" Erza said, grabbing them by their clothes and banging them by the heads. "We are in the presence of the Royal Family, you fools! If you get out of line one more time, I will personally make sure that you won't have any limbs left to use!"

Both boys seemed to cower under her gaze. "Y—Yes, Erza-sama!"

"…They're sort of too much to handle, huh?" Lyon said, giving a nervous laugh as she stared at the seemingly large bumps on Natsu and Gray's heads.

"All it takes is a just a little push," Erza said proudly as she watched the two cautiously and quietly walk a few steps behind them.

When they reached the main bridge, they walked for a few minutes, with Sialeeds and Lyon providing tour guide introductions to the four mages. By that time, Happy was already flying about, watching the bustling crowds doing their business in town from afar. When they reached the main plaza, the four foreigners already had their mouths agape in awe and wonder as their eyes surveyed the beautiful town of Sol Falena.

Time flew by and they finally got to their destination: the Sun Palace. It was every bit as majestic as the four mages imagined; it was like a huge castle that looked far more wonderful than their plain-looking guild.

"His Royal Highness the Prince and Her Royal Highness Sialeeds have returned!" a soldier by the front doors announced.

A man who was standing by one of the pillars in the gigantic main hallway instantly went towards them, a smile lighting up his face as he did so.

"Ah, Frey! You're back!" he greeted. He was a rather handsome man, with his shaggy brown hair that reached the nape of his neck and his warm, friendly brown eyes which radiated a disarming sincerity. His rogue-ish appearance, along with his tanned skin, seemed to slightly contrast with the Queen's Knight uniform he wore. But his clothing had understandably subtle differences from the others; Ferid Falenas was, after all, the Commander.

"Mmm! You're looking well, my boy!" he exclaimed, immediately bringing Frey into a playful headlock and shaking him affectionately, unconsciously using his brute strength.

" _H_ — _Hey_!" Frey sputtered out, startled. "That hurts, Dad!"

"What, this?" Ferid laughed. "This is nothing, my boy! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Uh, Your Majesty?" Sialeeds began tentatively. "I think perhaps you'd better stop before you crush him!"

Ferid ceased his antics at the sound of her voice, giving Frey ample time to breathe normally.

"Ah, Sialeeds," Ferid greeted, smiling. "I'm glad to see you looking well, too!" Then he turned towards the two bodyguards. "Georg, Lyon, thank you for seeing the Prince home safely."

"Yes, of course, sire!" Lyon happily responded, feeling pride at the implied praise of her superior.

"Your Majesty, Commander of the Queen's Knights, Georg Prime returning to post, sire!" Georg announced, stepping forward and firmly placing a fist against his chest as a form of salutation.

Ferid stared at him for a little while, then opened his mouth to speak. "Georg, what in the world's gotten into  _you_ …?"

Even Lyon and Sialeeds were nearly gaping at him at the side.

"Eh, I dunno," Georg said, slackening his posture. "I was told to 'mind my manners'."

It took only the briefest of moments to register, and Ferid laughed in response. "Ha ha ha ha ha! You never were one to listen to other people's advice, so why start now?" he said, shaking his son in the process. "…But on second thought, though, a little bit of prudence might be in order while you're back in the Imperial Capital." Ferid finally removed his grip on Frey as he continued on. "More than a few nobles aren't very happy with you, being a newcomer and all."

"All right. I'll try to watch it," Georg conceded. "Wouldn't want to get you in trouble, Your Majesty."

Ferid laughed once more, his voice becoming slightly more rampant. "Ha ha ha! Thanks, Georg, but I don't think you will have to worry too much about that!"

Suddenly an imposing-looking Queen's Knight approached Ferid. His oblong-shaped face was stern and his eyes were perpetually narrowed; coupled with his long,dark-grey hair, he gave an intimidating, rough exterior. "Uh, pardon me, Your Commandership. Shouldn't we…?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes. You're right." Ferid turned to his son. "Your mother — I mean,  _Her Majesty_ — is waiting for you. You should hurry along and see her now."

Lyon immediately stepped forward, her posture bent into a slight bow with her hand on her chest as a sign of respect. "But, Your Majesty…" she somewhat implored, "We, uh…"

Ferid interrupted, "Sorry, now's not the time." His expression was serious, implying that he knew exactly what it seemed. "I know what you've all seen, but there's nothing I can do about it right now."

There was a brief silence before Ferid continued on, "Our first priority is to see Her Majesty."

After he said it, he turned his head towards the gigantic doors up ahead, the pathway lined with a luxurious red carpet with gold trimmings. To the right of the entry was a Queen's Knight, his white hair and aged yet serious face giving him an aura of seniority and capability, the latter because of the way he held himself in his posture which made him appear guarded and careful.

"His Royal Highness the Prince and Her Royal Highness Sialeeds have returned!" he announced, his voice echoing along the walls of the enormous hall.

"Her Majesty is waiting for you. Please proceed." For a moment, Ferid looked dubiously thoughtful. "By the way, those people behind you…"

"We found them in the outskirts of Lordlake," Georg explained.

"Ah, I see." Ferid's face cleared. "We shall talk about their issue later after you give your report to Her Majesty."

* * *

•••

* * *

When Frey and the others entered the Audience Chamber, they were greeted by the sight of the majestic Queen in all her splendor. Arshtat Falenas looked truly worthy of her crown; with her silver hair, warm sapphire-blue eyes, and dainty, feminine features complementing her royal clothing, she appeared to be inviting and authoritative at the same time. What struck all those who saw her, though, were the large crown atop her head, which signified her supreme position as the Queen of Falena, and the distinct red mark on her forehead.

As soon as she saw her son, she emerged from her seat, immediately making her way towards him with a gratified smile on her face. "Ah, I've been waiting for you, Frey!" she greeted, quickly descending the small flight of stairs. "Don't be shy now! Come closer. Let me get a good look at you!" she prodded in an affectionate tone, apparently disregarding formalities at the moment.

"Your Majesty, I have returned," Frey said, bowing in respect.

"Oh my! Such formality! You can call me ' _Mother_ ', you know," Arshtat said. "But, then again, it does indeed make me proud to hear you speak so gallantly!"

The Queen then turned to her sister with a soft smile. "Sialeeds, thank you for all you've done. I wasn't quite so worried about the Prince knowing that you would be with him."

Sialeeds raised her hands briefly, dismissing the thanks out of modesty and casualness. "No need to thank me. I love my nephew too, you know."

Arshtat gave a brief chuckle and turned to the tallest of the group, still all-smiles. "And thank you too, Georg. I'm grateful that you took on this task hardly worthy of your talents."

"No thanks necessary, Majesty," Georg said dutifully. "Protecting the royal family is my sworn duty as one of the Queen's Knights."

Arshtat, pleased, turned to the last one. "And you, Lyon."

The young girl immediately snapped into attention, her large eyes holding the weight of nervousness. "Y—Yes?"

"You're doing a fine job as the Prince's bodyguard. Well done," Arshtat praised gently, her gaze almost motherly. "I'm sure the day will soon come when you'll be promoted to a full-fledged Queen's Knight."

"But, Your Majesty!" Lyon immediately protested, her expression now firm and determined. "I already consider it a great honour, one I hardly deserve, just to be allowed to be His Royal Highness' bodyguard!"

"Ah ha ha… It is such a great relief to me to know that the Prince is in such good hands," Arshtat mused, satisfied. "Please continue to take good care of him."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lyon said proudly, bowing in appreciation.

"Now then," the Queen said, reverting into business-mode. "Please report on your visit to Lordlake."

A tense silence was then what met her words, something which diffused into the air and made it seem heavy. The grim looks on their faces did not go unnoticed by the Queen, either.

"What's the matter? Simply tell me what you witnessed there."

"Arshtat…" Sialeeds managed to say, but her phrase hung in the air.

Frey looked up at his mother, his expression that of sadness as he recalled the events that happened back in Lordlake…

* * *

— _hours earlier_ **—**

* * *

Frey took a step past the worn-down gate, instantly feeling the hot air and the scorching heat sticking themselves on his skin. He stared at the area before him which seemed like a ghost of what it once was.

"This is…  _Lordlake_ …?" Lyon almost stammered in her words as she surveyed the dreary surroundings.

"One of the most beautiful towns in the Queendom of Falena? Known for its pristine water and lush woods?" Georg said, his voice tinged with disbelief. " _Damn_. I heard it was bad. Never imagined it to be  _this_  bad, though..."

The land which they stepped into was nothing short of depressing. In fact, the place looked more like a desert than anything else. The hot, heavy winds brought with them suffocating sands, the houses appeared to be old and abandoned when in fact they were not, and there was no water to be found anywhere.

Lyon cringed when she saw the withered trees and wilted grass. How did the people here manage to eat when it looked like there was nothing here to provide them goods with?

"Yeah, this is  _definitely_  Lordlake," Sialeeds affirmed, looking grim. "The town that used to be one of the most beautiful places in the Queendom. At least it  _used_  to be..."

At that moment, an old, withered-looking man approached them. His hands were clasped together at his front, giving the impression of a poor, humble merchant and farmer, if he could be judged by his hat as well.

"I thank you for travelling such a great distance," he greeted, bowing. "My name is Talgeyl. I've been somewhat of a town representative here ever since His Lordship passed away." He straightened and looked away, surveying his homeland with a sad expression on his face. "I would love to offer to show you around but, sadly, this town needs no guide. As you can see, there is nothing here but scorched dirt and bleary townsfolk. I'm afraid our residents might be rather impolite to you at times. I do hope you can forgive them..." He turned back to them and bowed once more. "If anyone deserves punishment for this, it's me..."

After the conversation with Talgeyl, Frey and the others moved forward, continuing their inspection. When they passed, some people gave them dirty glares, not even bothering to conceal their hatred. Some people gave them hopeful, imploring, desperate looks, while some looked plain terrified. It bothered Frey.

"This is  _terrible_..." Lyon muttered behind him. He couldn't agree more.

"Your Highness!  _Please_ , you must tell the Queen..." one resident said when they approached him. "We weren't trying to revolt—nothing of the kind, we  _swear_  it!"

Questions after questions, inquiries after inquiries... All of the townspeople's answers and remarks were similar.

The item were all out of medicine and antidotes... The innkeepers were all out of rooms... It was as if Lordlake was now reduced to  _nothing_  at all.

When they went inside a rather average-sized house, what they heard surprised them.

"It's hot...  _It's so hot_!" someone cried in agony.

"My tummy hurts..." a child's voice whimpered.

"Are you all right?!" yelled a woman. " _Hey_! Hey, wake up! Talk to me, talk to me..." Her tone was filled with despair.

"A doctor? B—But I thought..." Lyon said, surprised.

"Royals, hmm? Don't tell me you came all the way out here just to shut me down."

The four of them stared at the speaker who was trudging down the stairs, her eyes narrowed. She was an aged lady with short hair and fair skin, yet the way she carried herself and the manner in which she walked spoke volumes about her professionalism and strength.

"Oh, right," she spoke yet again, and this time her voice was filled with contempt. "You're the royal inspection party... Well, how do you like it? Enjoying all that scorched earth?"

Frey stepped forward slightly. "Who are you?" he asked as softly as he could without sounding even a little bit disrespectful.

The woman scoffed. "Oh, come on. Just because  _these_  people never see a doctor doesn't mean  _you_  never have. Now, either arrest me, or get the  _hell_  out."

"D—Did we do something wrong?" Lyon's voice came out as hesitant.

"You mean, besides... all  _this_? ...You're upsetting my patients. Think they're  _happy_  to see you? They're weak enough as it is, and your being here is  _not_  helping."

"I—I see... All right, then," Sialeeds finally spoke. "Let's go." She motioned for the others to follow her out, which they did without question.

"Sorry to bother you, miss," Georg said.

The woman sighed. "Just forget it."

Lyon bowed at her before leaving.

When they got outside, Sialeeds was already talking with a lady standing before a water-less fountain.

"The only water we have left is a few stagnant puddles crawling with disease. Each mouthful is a dance with death." She coughed. "We can't raise any crops. Everyone is slowly starving. There's so much illness here... So much despair... And the Queen has threatened to punish any doctor who comes here."

When they got to a dock, the sight made them all stand still.

"What is this, some kind of road?" Georg spoke up.

"No, not unless they sail down roads around here," Sialeeds said, gesturing at the boats on the dry ground, looking abandoned and worn out.

"This used to be a canal... filled with beautiful, sparkling water..." Lyon tried to explain through her nostalgia and sadness.

"And it dried up so fast, they didn't even have time to move their boats? Man..." Georg shook his head.

They got to the other side using the canal as a pathway and trudged ahead until a familiar mansion came in sight.

"How  _horrible_..." Lyon gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

"So tragic to see something so magnificent reduced to this..." Sialeeds said, staring at the crows pecking at the roof.

"What's this?" Georg asked her.

Sialeeds turned her head towards him. "It's Rovere's mansion. Rovere used to be the lord of this region."

"Huh. I've heard that name before." Georg looked thoughtful for a moment. "That's right... He and his entire family were executed, weren't they?"

Sialeeds turned away, closing her eyes.

"Let's go in," Frey proposed quietly.

"A—All right..." Lyon responded.

When they went inside, they surveyed the toppled-down bookshelves and the scattered papers. They tried to pay it no mind and proceeded to the next room, where Frey found a chest containing a Medicine.

"Let  _me_  take it," Sialeeds said, pocketing it just in case.

They then went out to the balcony.

"?!" Lyon gasped at the sight of what seemed like a stretch of dry land before them, and they could see a lone statue sitting at the center.

" _Unbelievable_. This is even worse than the rumours..." Georg said.

"That... used to be a lake..." Lyon began. "The water was so clear, you could even see the fish on the bottom. There were so many ducks and geese, too. And over there—" Lyon pointed towards a massive area of withered trees. "There was a deep forest... We were just kids the last time we were here, so we wanted to go explore it, of course. But just as the Prince and I were about to set out, his attendants stopped us." Lyon turned towards Frey, smiling a little. "Ferid yelled at us later, remember? ' _You're not supposed to let them catch you!_ ' he told us." Lyon imitated Ferid's pose and expression when he said it back then, causing both Frey and Sialeeds to chuckle in amusement.

"Yeah, sounds like Ferid," Sialeeds agreed.

"Lord Rovere said the same thing and laughed..." Lyon looked rueful. "What in the world could have  _happened_  here...?"

"Unfortunately, this town... has indeed felt Arshtat's wrath," Sialeeds said sadly.

It was then at that moment that they heard some voices arguing about meters away from them. Lyon spotted their figures which looked like the young man with red hair which they met earlier and Talgeyl. It seemed like they were arguing about something.

"What's that about?" Georg asked, being the first one to notice.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" Lyon added.

"They seem to be panicked about something. Let's go check it out," Sialeeds proposed.

The four of them ran back to the other side of the bridge, and when they finally found the two, their voices reached them as clearly as if they were right next to them.

"Look, I'm going, and that's  _that_!" the young man said with a tone of finality to his voice.

" _No_!" Talgeyl protested. "I said  _no_ , Goesch!"

"What's going on?" Sialeeds asked, going over to them.

"Is something wrong?" Lyon inquired.

"Keep moving, guys. It's not your problem," Goesch, a man with narrowed eyes and red hair hidden beneath a hat, said gruffly.

" _Goesch_!" Talgeyl reprimanded. He then turned to the four. "It's one of the children... He left for the forest watering hole and hasn't come back. It's dangerous! There are  _beasts_  out there! We told him to stay away, but he just wouldn't listen!"

"Hey, it's not the kid's fault. He was just looking for a little clean water. His friends needed it!" Goesch defended. "I'm gonna go look for him! Don't try to stop me, Talgeyl!"

"I said  _no!_  Have you seen those beasts these days? They'll  _devour_  you! You're  _not_  going!" Talgeyl said hotly.

"So, what are you saying?! We just leave Toma out there to  _die_?!"

"That's not what I'm saying!"

"Could you wait here, Prince? I want to go look for the boy," Lyon said, looking determined.

" _You_?!" Goesch exclaimed.

Frey shook his head. "I can't let you do that."

"Huh...?" Lyon stammered. "B—But what about the boy?"

"He's right, Lyon. You're supposed to be his bodyguard, after all," Sialeeds reasoned. "Where he goes, you go. So come on, Frey. Let's go!"

"Um, okay..." Lyon conceded.

"J—Just a moment!" Talgeyl interrupted. "We can't let you do this. It would be too—"

"Yeah!" Goesch agreed. "This has nothing to do with you guys. Now if you'll excuse me..." He started to leave.

"Excuse me!" Sialeeds interrupted his exit. Her expression was serious. "Does it  _really_  matter who saves the child from certain death?"

"Trust me, we can handle this." Georg's deep voice resounded in the air like authority himself. "We do this sort of thing for a living."

There was silence, and then Talgeyl finally spoke.

"V—Very well, then."

Goesch jerked in surprise. "Talgeyl, what are you—"

"Good luck, and thank you," the old man said, bowing.

"...Bah." Goesch turned away. "To be honest, I don't really want to ask you to do me any favors, but if it's for Toma's sake... You'd better bring him back in one piece."

Frey gave a nod and the four of them ran off towards the path past Rovere's mansion where a townsman was already waiting there for them.

"You have to help Toma!  _Please_!" he implored. "He went inside the forest!"

"We will," Lyon promised.

They entered the area of looming trees.

* * *

•••

* * *

"A little boy… in a forest, all alone," Sialeeds muttered, aghast.

"I've heard that some Mad Dogs and Hairballs reside in withered forests like this," Georg spoke, his stance guarded as his lone eye carefully scanned their surroundings. "Stay alert."

"Got it," Lyon responded. Then, as the ever-faithful bodyguard that she was, she motioned for Frey to come behind her. "Prince, stay as close to me as you can."

Before Frey could reply, though, Georg shouted, "To the right!"

A Hairball pounced over to them from the left, bringing along with it five others. It was, however, annihilated quickly by Georg's blade. Sialeeds immediately made a long throw with her gold chakrams, eliminating the ones lined up at the back row while Lyon delivered the final strike to the last two.

All of it happened within the span of seconds.

Frey, on the other hand, found a Medicine nearby, pocketing it in case of an emergency. He then watched as Georg took as many green-coloured furs from the dead Hairballs in his own pockets while both Sialeeds and Lyon looked on in disgust, the former especially.

"What?" Georg said, noticing their expressions. "Hairball fur can get us a few Potch to get by. It's called a hunter's survival."

"But don't some creatures carry Potch with them?" Lyon managed to say with a slightly green face as they continued to navigate their way through the forest.

"Not all of them do. Sure, almost all of the monsters and creatures in every land are attracted by the money, but there are also some who are immune to the compulsion. These Hairballs are one of them."

"Ugh…" Sialeeds shivered, repulsed. "We can just take some Potch from the treasury room back in Sol Falena, you know. Arshtat and Ferid's coffers are overflowing with them. There's some benefits to being part of the royal family, Georg."

The tall man gave her a flat look. "And what if the money you brought isn't enough? And besides, this money's for  _me._  You guys don't really need it, anyway."

"Oh, poor Georg," Sialeeds teased. "Never fear. I'll talk to Ferid about giving you a raise when we get back home."

Georg rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Sialeeds."

Sialeeds crossed her arms. "Hmph. Some people just don't appreciate good humour."

Frey smiled, his worries easing a bit. Lyon, beside him, gave a chuckle of amusement.

The mood became considerably lighter, but it wasn't enough to erase the underlying anxiety they many questions were yet to be answered. A few truths were waiting to be revealed.

Finally their spirits spurned at the sight of a small lake nearby.

"Look!  _Water_!" Lyon announced, running over towards the flowing liquid. "He must've come here…"

"Looks like maybe something tried to attack him and he ran off…" Sialeeds deduced, looking grim. "But why come all the way out here…?"

"Uh, do you see any  _other_  water around…?" Georg said sarcastically.

"…Good point."

"Come on." Georg hardened his stance slightly. "He ought to be close by."

They started to walk ahead, preparing themselves for what kind of scene would await them.

" _Aaaagh_!" someone shouted.

"?!" Lyon immediately pointed towards a small, fallen figure nearby. " _Prince_! Over there!"

Frey followed the direction of her finger and narrowed his eyes. There, lying on the ground with terror clearly written all over his features, was what should be the child Goesch and Talgeyl were fretting about earlier. He was surrounded by three giant wolf-like creatures, all looking ready to pounce on him.

Sialeeds' eyes widened in fright. " _Ulse_?!  _Attacking people_?!"

Frey looked determined.  _Fearless_ , even. "We've got to save him!" he exclaimed, running towards the Ulses' prey.

" _Huh_?! Prince,  _wait_!" Lyon ran after her charge.

Sialeeds placed her hands on her hips. "There he goes, running into things again."

" _Damn_!" Georg swore, and then both of them ran after the two youths.

The boy managed to crawl out of the circle the Ulses forced him into, narrowly missing a deadly claw. He, however, tripped in his haste, falling to the ground and then raising his arms in front of him in a feeble attempt at protection.

The Ulse growled and was ready to land a lethal blow when its claw was suddenly halted from its action. Georg had moved fast to block it with his sword while Frey stood in front of the young boy, his nunchakus drawn and his stance defensive.

It was then at that moment that the Royals' first boss battle began.

Sialeeds stood at the back, throwing her chakrams at an Ulse that charged towards Frey. The creature roared in response to the injury, halting its attack momentarily. Lyon took that opportunity to slice off its arm. Georg, on the other hand, was busy fending off two Ulses. After successfully getting them away from the others, he easily eliminated an Ulse and dodged swiftly before a claw strike from the other could cut him down. Georg's eyes narrowed and, accompanied by the ominous red glow of his Killer Rune, slew the strongest Ulse of the three in one strike.

When Georg turned to the others, he saw Lyon about to be struck by a deadly tail hit. He saw Sialeeds' eyes widen and her hands immediately throwing her weapons in hopes of stopping the assault. But it would already be too late by then.

It was then that Frey moved.

In an orange blur, he managed to block the tail through his nunchakus, successfully holding it off until Sialeeds' chakrams landed a hit on the appendage. The Ulse growled in pain and charged at Frey, who quickly moved out of the way to create an opening for Lyon who quickly took it in order to cut the creature down.

When their work was done, the four of them stared at the lifeless corpses on the ground, Sialeeds looking dismayed and frazzled.

"How strange…! I don't think I've ever heard of Ulse attacking people…  _before."_

"They sure looked awfully hungry..." Georg mused.

Lyon turned to the child and knelt beside him. "Are you all right?" she asked kindly.

Toma looked surprised. "Huh...? Oh, uh..."

Frey came up to him and offered his hand. Toma, however, narrowed his eyes and slapped the offering away.

"Don't  _touch_  me!" he snapped.

" _Oh_!" Lyon immediately stood up. "Hey! Don't disrespect the Prince!"

Toma stood up as well, looking defiant. "So  _you're_  the Prince, huh?! Grampa said you were coming, but I didn't think you'd have the  _guts!"_

"Huh?" Lyon said, confused.

"Don't ' _huh_ ' me! How  _dare_  the Queen's family even show their faces around here?!" he shouted. "Who do you think brought all this to Lordlake anyway?! Even those animals! They started attacking people because their forest is gone! They're  _hungry_! Who knows how many people have been  _killed_?!"

Toma clenched his fists and glared at them. "And all of it...!  _ALL_  of it! It's  **ALL**  the Queen's  _fault_!"

 


	3. The Sun Palace

 

At the end of their tale, Arshtat had her back turned to them, her voice resounding in the chamber as loudly as you could hear a pin drop in a completely silent room.

"I see…" she spoke. "The people of that town still cling to that dried-up land, living out their  _pathetic_  existence…"

Suddenly the Queen let out a mirthful and somewhat sinister laugh.

" _Arshtat_?!" Sialeeds said in disbelief.

And perhaps even  _fear_.

"Well, I'm afraid all I can say is this…" The Queen turned around to face them with a satisfied smile on her face. "… _it serves them right_."

" _Your Majesty_!" Lyon sounded shocked.

"…" Frey couldn't bring himself to speak.

" _Arshtat_!" Sialeeds protested. "Have you gone mad?! Those people are  _suffering_!"

The Queen turned to them fully, crossing her arms at her front. " _Hmph_! I've hardly gone mad. Their offense was  _reprehensible_ , that's all." She then shook her head ruefully. "For generation after generation, the Rovere family of Lordlake had been our most loyal subjects. That's why for many years, I had  _complete_  faith in them. That's why I looked upon them with such favour." Then her voice changed into that of a fierce tone. "But on that fateful day two years ago, they betrayed me in the worst possible way!"

The four of them hung onto Arshtat's every word, still frozen at the complete transformation of their Queen right in front of their very eyes.

"They banded together and began a savage uprising, plunging the nation into confusion!" Arshtat rambled on. "They ravaged the East Palace and even stole the Dawn Rune… One of the Three Runes, the very symbols of the Falenan royal family!" She narrowed her eyes in indignation. "Such lawlessness! Such treachery! Such  _savage_  behavior! How could I possibly  _forgive_  them?!

"And so I, Arshtat, the Queen of Falena, brought down my judgment and vengeance upon them by the will of Providence! With the power of  _this! The Sun Rune_!"

As soon as the last phrase escaped her lips, a glowing light engulfed the room, temporarily blinding them by its intense brightness. Frey, Lyon, and Sialeeds covered their eyes with their hands and stepped back slightly while Georg turned his head away, closing his lone eye for a moment.

"So, you see, no matter how much Lordlake may continue to suffer, they got  _exactly_  what they deserved!" Arshtat remarked, the glow of the Rune attached to her forehead slowly fading out.

Lyon only hesitated for a brief moment before stepping forward, her posture bent and her hand laid on her chest. "W—With all due respect, Your Majesty, you have every right to be angry, but in Lordlake, the damage extends to women, children, and the elderly! People who had nothing to do with the uprising!"

"Yes, Mother! That's right!" finally spoke Frey, who had a strong expression on his face.

" _Silence_!" Arshtat said indignantly, causing Lyon to flinch. "Do you  _DARE_  tell me I was  _wrong_?!

"I do not  _MAKE_  mistakes! The Sun Rune  _always_  lends its divine protection to the just! My path is the path of righteousness! My will is the will of heaven! To defy me is to defy the sun!"

" _Your Majesty_!" a voice boomed.

In an instant, Arshtat's anger disappeared, replaced by a shamed expression that fitted its way over to her face. Her eyes had widened in what seemed to be realization as she turned to her husband.

"Oh…  _Ferid…?"_  Her voice was like a strangled whisper.

"Your Majesty, everyone is tired from their long journey," Ferid said, his tone much softer now. "Perhaps we should adjourn for now and let them rest."

"O—Oh… Yes, I suppose you're right." The Queen still looked as if she was about to stagger in her steps, but she straightened herself slightly as she turned towards the four who had frozen in their places. "I will… hear the rest of your report later… For now, you may go and get some rest."

* * *

•••

* * *

Once they were outside the Audience Chamber, Lyon spoke up hesitantly.

"Her Majesty has…  _changed_ , hasn't she?"

Sialeeds sighed. "Yeah, I'll say…" She flipped her head slightly and turned to them fully. "Well, what are you going to do now?"

Georg unfolded his arms. "Guess I'd better make an appearance in the guard room."

"Well, look at you, turning into 'Mr. Serious' the second we get back to the Capital!" Sialeeds remarked.

Georg gave the tiniest of smirks. "You know me."

"Sheesh…" She turned towards the teens. "What are you two going to do?" Then, as if just remembering something, she gave a brief chuckle. " _Heh_. Like I need to ask. You'd better go see your little sister. Bet she's waiting for you."

Frey gave a small smile. "Yeah, I guess I'd better."

"Princess Lymsleia sure loves her big brother," Lyon said happily. "We should go see her, Prince!"

"You two go on ahead," Sialeeds said. "Your aunt here will be taking her sister's advice and getting some rest."

"Good idea," Georg agreed. "Little ol' aunties really should go easy on themselves after all." Then he walked away, leaving Sialeeds almost gawking at him.

" _What_  did you say?!" Immediately, she began to follow him. "Hey, Georg, get  _back_  here! Get back here  _right now_  or I'll…  _bah_!" she said, giving up.

"Is everything all right?" Erza and the others approached the two who were left behind. "I was hesitant to go over to you earlier because it seemed that you were having a serious conversation."

"Oh, it was no problem at all," Lyon said, somewhat forcing a smile. "We were just about to go visit Princess Lymsleia. You can come with us if you like," she invited.

"We thank you from the bottom of our hearts," Erza said formally, bowing respectfully to emphasize her point.

Frey gave a nod, his small, serene smile still in place. Lyon guided the three mages towards the western flight of stairs, giving the impression of a tour guide.

"So who's this Lym- _whatever_  person anyway?" Natsu brought up casually, leaning the back of his head against his folded arms from behind.

"Oh, she's the Prince's sister," Lyon supplied helpfully.

Natsu immediately stopped in his tracks, sweating profusely at the unaffected faces Frey and Lyon wore and also at the death glare he could  _feel_ Erza giving him at his right side.

" _Natsu_ …" Erza drawled ferociously.

" _Ack_! I'm sorry! I didn't know that Lym-whatever is your sister!" Natsu apologized, bowing multiple times, half the reason why because he had to appease Erza's anger before it was too late.

Unfortunately, it created the opposite effect.

" _Ugh_. You're really hopeless," Gray muttered exasperatedly from behind him.

Natsu turned around to face him, bristling. "What was that, you droopy-eyed  _bastard_?!" he growled.

"It's all right," Frey interrupted before things could get worse—Natsu looked ready to claw Gray's eyes out, the latter had a triumphant look on his face, Erza looked ready to give them hell, and Lyon looked like she wanted to intervene but was too flabbergasted to do so.

" _H_ — _Huh_?" Natsu looked like a gaping fish.

"It's all right," Frey repeated softly. "I appreciate the casualness you bring to lighten our moods, so please do not hesitate to continue to treat us are mere friends. I fully realize that you do not mean anything rude by your informal address of my sister, so please,  _relax_."

Natsu blinked, and in seconds, his posture slackened, though his mouth was still slightly open. " _Whoa_ ," he breathed out, looking amazed. "That's the first time I've ever heard you say so many words!"

Erza looked positively irritated at his disrespect, but let it go when she heard Lyon's twinkling laughter and saw Frey's unfaltering smile.

It seemed that they had made the right decision after all.

* * *

— _hours earlier, after the inspection of Lordlake_ —

* * *

It was a sunny weather when Erza came to her senses. She could practically feel the scorching heat pierce into her armour, nearly suffocating her in its intensity.

"Hey, where the  _heck_  are we?!" Natsu's voice roared shrilly. He was already up and about, the heat of course not bothering him in the slightest. He  _was_  a fire mage after all.

Gray, on the other hand, had reflexively stripped off his shirt.

"Gray," Erza coughed slightly, getting up. "Your clothes."

"Huh?" It was then that he noticed his lack of garment. " _Ack_! How did that happen?!"

As Gray scrambled for his clothes, Erza took the time to survey their surroundings. The land they were in looked like a desert, with withered trees planted around the area and crows landing on some branches. She could see some beasts prowling from afar, and she was sure that she could take care of them in mere seconds, but the question still lingered in her mind:  _where were they?_  Because this  _certainly_  wasn't Magnolia.

Erza knew that they were purposefully brought here. Perhaps this was one of the worlds which had been unreachable by nature, a parallel dimension protected from others by time compression itself.

Before they were whisked away into this world, they were in Magnolia, doing their own business. Erza was on a mission, Gray was in Fairy Tail, and Natsu was out looking for Igneel in Hargeon. Erza had one-sidedly exterminated the huge monster that was causing a disturbance in a faraway village and was about to return to the guild when suddenly a portal appeared out of nowhere. It looked similar to a black hole in the galaxy, ready to suck her in without further ado.

And it did. She couldn't even fight against it. It was as if she was frozen, rendered powerless by the sheer magnanimity of its capacity.

It was the same case for Gray and Natsu. Gray had been drinking iced tea when the portal came up behind him, so he never knew what hit him when he was instantly absorbed inside. Natsu, on the other hand, was riding a train when he got sucked in. He had clutched onto Happy for dear life while still on the verge of puking, bringing the winged cat along with him.

The four of them already knew that they were brought here together. Whether it was because of a malfunction or with a purpose, it didn't really matter at that moment. They had floated inside a sphere-like place that seemed to stretch on for eternity, the walls not solid but instead that of swirling atoms and molecules that were shades of violet and black.

"I see a town up ahead!" Happy announced, flying over to them after finishing his patrol.

Gray squinted at the place Happy was talking about which was meters north of them. "It looks like it's in bad shape, though," he remarked. "You sure some people live there?"

Happy nodded in affirmation. "Yup. I saw them. I didn't see any water anywhere, though…"

"They don't have water?" Erza inquired, incredulity taking over her expression. "Gray, can you—?"

Gray shook his head. "I can't. I can feel something preventing me from using my magic."

Erza's gaze lowered to her hands as if inspecting for some sort of defect in them. "You are right, Gray," she murmured. "My magic power is not depleted, but I cannot certainly use it at the moment."

Natsu gave a loud cackle. " _What_?! That's  _nothing_! Let _me_  try!" He then clenched his hands into fists and channeled power into them.

Nothing happened.

" _WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT_?!" he cried out.

Gray face-palmed. "Idiot."

Natsu turned to him instantly. "What was that, Ice Prick?!" he hollered.

Before Gray could counter with one his snarky remarks, Erza's deep, authoritative voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Be quiet, you two," she ordered. "Someone's coming."

There were four shadowy figures that could be seen from afar. Erza motioned for the two boys to lie low and squinted to see the people a bit more clearly. Meanwhile, Happy hid himself inside Natsu's vest, suddenly feeling tired.

Erza wondered if she should go get help from them. It would be the most obvious thing to do, but she wasn't sure if she could trust them. They  _were_  strangers in this world, after all. What if those four people were actually criminals of some sort? What if they were accomplices of the one who brought them here? It was too risky.

Erza was still concealing herself behind a cluster of withered trees, Natsu and Gray being quiet for once and observing the four strangers as well, waiting for Erza to call their next move.

Frey, Georg, Lyon, and Sialeeds were walking back to where their ship was boarded by the nearest wharf. Frey couldn't stop thinking about Toma's words. It was natural for a son to deny negative things about his mother, but it was too glaringly obvious that Arshtat had a hand in obliterating Lordlake, consequently leaving a mark on it and rendering it of scars for probably a lifetime.

It was at that moment that Erza made her move. She slowly revealed herself to them and relaxed her stance, careful not to show even a hint of aggression so as to not alert them of danger.

Lyon immediately had her fingers lightly grasping the hilt of her sword while Georg went slightly rigid but only watched Erza with a guarded eye.

"I come in peace," Erza explained. "If it is not too much of a hassle, can you help us?"

The four of them looked at each other, seemingly hesitant.

Georg was the first to speak. "What kind of help?"

Erza motioned for Gray and Natsu to come behind her. "These are my comrades. We come from another world, in Magnolia, where we have a wizard's guild called Fairy Tail. I am Erza Scarlet."

"Gray Fullbuster," Gray said simply.

"Natsu Dragneel!" Natsu grinned, showing sharp, white teeth.

Something flew beside him from his back. "I'm Happy!"

Four of them looked shocked.

"What kind of creature is that?" Sialeeds asked curiously.

"I'm a cat, aye!" Happy exclaimed.

" _Aaw_ ," Lyon cooed slightly. "You're so cute! And you can talk, too!"

Happy nodded. "Aye!" he said proudly, his fatigue momentarily forgotten.

"So," Georg began, folding his arms across his chest and relaxing his stance, "you want us to help you go back to your world—something like that?"

"Yes. If your grace permits it," Erza said politely.

There was silence for a minute before Sialeeds spoke up hesitantly.

"Could you… give us a moment? We would like to discuss this privately."

"Of course," Erza said.

When the four of them were at a respectable distance, Georg asked, "So, what do you think?"

"I think what they're saying is legitimate," Sialeeds voiced. "Although it is a bit farfetched, I couldn't detect a hint of dishonesty in their words."

"I sensed that, too," Lyon agreed. "But how can we help them? I don't think we have the resources available for that kind of problem."

Georg turned towards the young prince. "What do you think, Frey?"

"I think we should help them," Frey said softly.

"Hmm…" Georg looked thoughtful. "Doesn't seem like they're bad guys, but you can never be too sure…"

"How about we bring them to Ferid?" Sialeeds suggested. "Maybe he'll know what to do."

Georg nodded. "Sounds reasonable to me."

Even at this distance, they could still hear Natsu's cry of: " _Heeeeey! Then how come_  Happy _can use magic?!_ "

* * *

— _back to the present_ —

* * *

Soon they came to a stop before an elegant-looking door, designed intricately along with a mint-green shade colouring the entry.

When Frey opened it, he was greeted by the sight of a surprised maid changing the lavish bed sheets.

"Oh, Prince Frey!" she exclaimed. "Did you see the Princess?"

Frey looked slightly taken aback. "Isn't Lym here?"

"Oh, no! This is awful. You must have just missed each other!" she cried. "Until just a little while ago, the Princess was waiting here for you to visit, Prince Frey… But she got tired of waiting and went off with Lady Miakis to look for you! Could you see if you can find her, Prince?"

"My poor little Princess!" a maid from the left side of the room wailed. "She's too young! It's too soon for her to be thinking about a husband. No doubt it'll either be that Godwin lad or the Barows boy, but… Whichever of them it turns out to be, I don't like it. Oh, my poor little girl!"

" _H_ — _Husband_ …?" Erza stammered, her cheeks red and her body trembling slightly.

"The Princess is to be wed soon," Lyon explained as they went out the door. "The Sacred Games will decide who her husband will be."

"Sacred Games?" Gray inquired.

"Hey, is that some kind of food?" Natsu asked eagerly, already drooling from his mouth.

Gray scoffed. "Are you an idiot or what?"

" _What_?! Say that to me again and I'll—"

" _U_ — _Um_!" Lyon intervened, nervously eyeing Erza's death glare at the two boys. "I've just noticed that Happy isn't here. Where…?"

"Oh, Happy?" Natsu gestured to his red vest, especially the noticeable bulge at the back. "He's sleeping. Got worn out from using his magic after what we went through. He shouldn't have overdone it."

Gray snickered. "No wonder people were staring at you strangely while shaking their heads. Probably thought you were a real hunchback or something."

"H—Hunch…  _what_?!" Natsu stuttered.

Gray sighed, all humour lost from his expression. "Never mind."

They had come to a door not too far away from Lymsleia's where two maids seemed to be standing guard outside.

"Oh, Prince Frey!" one of them exclaimed. "Are you looking for Lady Sialeeds? She just got back and went straight to bed. Do you have something urgent you need to see her about?"

"No," Frey said softly. "Please let her sleep."

"A—Are you sure…? I don't have to—? Oh, thank you, Your Highness!  _Thank you so much_!" the maid cried in relief.

Lyon gave a short giggle from beside him and Frey smiled in amusement. Both of them knew the reason why the maid was so nervous about waking Sialeeds up.

"… _Ahem_ ," the maid coughed, realizing her unnecessary outburst. "Very well, then."

The other maid from their right gave a sigh. "Lady Sialeeds always appears so bright and cheerful in public, but I can't imagine she's very happy," she conversed. "She had her right to the throne taken from her, not to mention the marriage… I know it's all about the throne and avoiding conflict within the royal family, but  _really_! The poor thing!" She faced the Prince fully, her eyes imploring. "Prince Frey, you'll be there if Lady Sialeeds needs someone to talk to, right? You know, she considers you more of a brother than a nephew."

"What was  _that_  about?" Natsu asked once they went out the door of the western side of the palace.

"I don't really know, either," Lyon said.

They kept on walking south until they reached a guard standing by a swirling staircase at the center of the second floor.

"Are you entering the Sealed Room, Your Highness?" he asked. "There's nothing in there now sir, but the Rune expert might be helpful if you want information."

Frey gave a nod of thanks before going up and entering the large brown door leading to the Sealed Room. Inside, there was a pure-white head statue in the center surrounded by four pillars. On the forehead of the statue was an empty Rune slot.

A man who was known as the Chief Runekeeper of the palace turned around, looking faintly surprised to see them.

" _A-ha_! Prince Frey!" he exclaimed. "What an unusual pleasure to see you here." He cleared his throat for a moment before continuing. "Well, you've come all this way. The least I can do is share a bit of knowledge about Runes. So, what is it that you want to know?"

"What  _are_  Runes, exactly?" Frey asked in a polite tone, taking advantage of this opportunity.

"Hmm… Well, in a nutshell… You probably know all about how the world is made up of forces, right? Water, wind, earth… Competing and combining with each other, these forces together shape everything. Now, each Rune symbolizes one of those forces, so they say. Of course, the Runes predate humanity, so no one really knows for sure."

Frey became thoughtful for a moment. "Is that a Rune on Mother's forehead?" he asked, seeking for more information pertaining to his mother's condition.

The man hesitated only the slightest bit before answering. "Well, you see, one who bears a Rune upon their body gains the ability to harness that Rune's power. The Water Rune grants the power of water. The Wind Rune the power of wind. You get the idea. So, you can imagine what the Sun Rune does. That's right — the power of the sun itself. And that's what Her Majesty used on Lordlake when…" He immediately cut himself off to keep from treading into dangerous matters. "Ahem… That's another matter entirely."

Frey took another chance for a question. "What are the three Runes of Falena?"

The Chief Runekeeper's face brightened. "Ah, you mean the Sun Rune, the Dawn Rune, and the Twilight Rune! Well, the Sun Rune is blessed, you see. It brings the Queendom of Falena prosperity. And the Dawn Rune and the Twilight Rune bring the Queendom protection, or so the legends say. Unlike most Runes, those three are each unique and incredibly powerful. Especially the Sun Rune. No other Rune anywhere near here comes close. Some people even say it's one of the ' _True Runes'_ , all born together with our world at the dawn of time." He then coughed slightly. "Perhaps we should leave it at that for today. If we delve too deeply into things like this, we'll end up talking forever!"

" _Wow_ …" Lyon said in amazement as they went back down the stairs. "I never really knew much about the history of Runes and what they actually are, so I'm glad we went there."

"Runes…" Erza murmured. "Are those the magic you use here in this world?"

"Well, basically, yes," Lyon replied. "I've never used one before, though, and the Prince doesn't really use them much. I think Lady Sialeeds has a Rune, but I've never seen her use it. Georg, I know,  _has_  one, and it's really powerful and deadly."

Natsu yawned, stretching his arms. "I think I dozed off a little after that guy started explainin' things 'bout something…"

"Don't mind him. He's hopeless." Gray sighed.

Frey led them towards the eastern side of the second floor, turning around the corner and entering the first room.

A maid greeted them in surprise. "Oh, my! Prince Frey! Welcome back! You must be tired from your long trip. Shall I fetch the royal pajamas?"

"No thanks," Frey said politely. "I haven't seen Lym yet."

"Oh, that's very sweet of you, Prince Frey!" the maid gushed. "No matter how tired you are, you always think of your little sister! The Princess will be so glad to see you!"

Frey gave a nod and a smile before leaving. Lyon and the others followed him down the stairs.

"Where are we going, Prince?" Lyon asked.

"Maybe Lym's with Father," Frey replied absently, his tiredness making him even quieter than usual. "So we're going to the guard room."

They were about to turn the corner when they suddenly heard voices.

"Indeed," a haughty noble was saying. "Sending the Prince off to the provinces for an inspection…! What could she have been  _thinking_?"

"Don't tell me she's considering getting him involved in politics someday…?" an obsequious noble remarked.

" _Ha_! Lord Godwin and Lord Barows would never stand for that! A third player in their little tug-of-war?"

"Not just  _any_  third player—a  _royal_! A royal  _male_ , no less!  _Ridiculous_!"

"Yes, a Falenan royal  _male._  They've always been  _useless_. Waving to the crowds, that's all they're good for."

Natsu didn't really understand much of the conversation, but he knew well enough o know that Frey was being insulted, and insulting his comrades was not something he was going to stand.

" _That bastard_ ," Natsu cussed, about to shove his way towards the two nobles when Gray clamped a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from making do on his threat.

"I know how you feel, but forget about it," Gray told him.

"Gray's right, Natsu," Erza said firmly. "Going there will only make things worse."

Natsu gritted his teeth. Logical reason was not something he wanted to hear right now, but Gray and Erza had a point. Perhaps because Frey was shaking his head at him very slightly as if willing him to relax while Lyon was staring at her charge with a sad expression on her face that he calmed down a bit.

So Natsu had no choice but to be forced to listen to the nobles degrading Frey and his position.

"Well, that and marrying off to foreigners," the haughty noble continued on. "Seriously, the Prince is as good as  _deadwood_!"

The obsequious noble barked out laughter. "How rightly you speak! Ha, ha, ha!"

Natsu's anger fueled. "Why  _that_ —!"

Suddenly a voice cut in the conversation between the two men.

"Well, you boys look like you're having fun!" A Queen's Knight appeared before them, a smile curling his lips. "If you're gonna speak your mind, you should really pay attention to where you are. You never know — some rogue knight might slip out of the guard room and come passing by… Okay?"

" _Kyle_ …?!" the obsequious noble exclaimed.

Kyle was a handsome man. Most girls could attest to that. He had long blond hair, the top part of it tied into a bun with a long, thin blue ribbon and his blue eyes were like the colour of the ocean when shone upon by the bright sunlight. His stance was completely relaxed and easygoing, but there was no doubting the strength he had hidden up his sleeve, guarded by his friendly persona.

"W—What are you talking about? W—We were just standing around having a little chat, that's all!" the haughty noble stammered.

Kyle shrugged. "Well, yeah, but I can't exactly ignore what you're chatting about, me being a Queen's Knight and all…" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, the part about the Prince being 'as good as dead'…"

" _What_?! Don't be ridiculous! We never said anything of the kind!"

"Of c—course not! Not 'as good as dead'! 'About as good as dead _WOOD_ ,' he said…"

" _Shut up_ , you idiot!"

" _Mmmph_!"

"Oh, dead _WOOD_. Okay, well, no one's gonna care that you said  _THAT_ …" Kyle's smile turned sly. "Not even Her Majesty…"

" _Eeeek_! Sir Kyle,  _no_!"

"P—Please, no! I'm begging you! Please, I… What'll it take to keep this quiet?"

"Do a dance," Kyle said flatly. "Seriously, right now, do a dance."

The two nobles looked at him, not knowing what they should do first.

"No, just kidding." Kyle laughed a little. "Look, I don't wanna be a tattletale… So just try not to bad-mouth anybody, eh? Especially right where I can hear you. Which is pretty much  _everywhere_."

"Yes, sir!"

"O—Of course! We'll be good! We promise!"

"N—Now, if you'll just excuse us!"

After the nobles ran away, not even noticing Frey and the others in their haste, Kyle spoke up.

"Hey, Prince? Lyon? You can come out now."

"Wow, they talk like that in the  _halls_  now?" Lyon said, amazed as they stepped towards Kyle.

"Thank you, Kyle," Frey said quietly.

"Ah, just doin' my job," Kyle said humbly. "And, hey, all that stuff they said — don't worry about it. Court's filled with those kinds of losers. Spend all your time worrying about each individual one, and your hair's gonna fall out."

"Kyle…"

"Oh, and by the way! Little late now, but… Welcome home, Your Highness, Lyon," Kyle said, smiling.

"Th—Thank you!" Lyon said, slightly taken aback.

"Hey, you guys should come visit the Queen's Knights' guard room with me! Been a while, right?" Kyle suggested.

"Hmm, I'd better go see Lym first…" Frey said.

"Oh, you're looking for the Princess? In that case, you really  _should_  go to the guard room," said Kyle. "You guys keep missing each other, right? Going back and forth? If you wait in the guard room, she's bound to find you there eventually! So let's go!"

Frey and Lyon both gave a nod before following him.

"Hey, haven't seen  _them_ before," Kyle suddenly said.

"Oh, they're friends," Lyon said, beginning to introduce the mages one by one. "This is Natsu, Gray, and Erza. They'll be accompanying us for a while."

"Oh, really?" Kyle stared straight at Erza. "Hey, she's pretty hot."

"Don't start," Gray warned him. "She'll pummel you to the ground."

Kyle blinked. "Really?"

Erza's infamous death glare made him freeze. " _Yes_ ," she said sternly.

"All right, all right!" Kyle said, thinking about his life. "I'm sorry!"

"I apologize," Lyon said cheerfully. "Kyle just loves chasing after girls."

"As long as he doesn't touch me," Erza said.

Lyon giggled.

* * *

•••

* * *

"Do you think they'll come here?" a woman's voice asked.

"Hmm. I think they will," a man's voice said lightly.

"What are you going to do to them?"

"Nothing. Or, we can get them on our side and work together for a while."

"Until we eventually betray them?"

"Yes… When we get back to our world."

"As you wish, Lord Siegrain."

 


	4. The Senate

 

When they entered the guard room, they were greeted by the sight of four Queen's Knights standing in the center, seemingly discussing something before they came in. Georg was there as well as the veteran-looking old man who had been standing at the right of the entrance to the Audience Chamber,  _Galleon_.  _Zahhak_ , the one who spoke with Ferid earlier, was beside a woman who could be mistaken for a dainty, pretty young lady with a graceful charm. Her name was  _Alenia_ , and she had bright-orange hair that was tied together in such a way that she had long bangs framing the sides of her face. Her features seemed to be refined and her eyes were narrowed.

"Ah, His Royal Highness," Zahhak greeted, bowing respectfully with his fist laid on his chest. Alenia did the same.

Georg gave a brief wave. "Hey," he greeted casually.

Natsu and the others stood at the very back by the right side of the room, waiting. Zahhak and Alenia glanced at them before ignoring their presence entirely; Ferid had briefed the four of them about the foreigners and needless to say, the two of them were not very pleased. Only Galleon was neutral to it while Kyle… Well, he wasn't there when Ferid informed them.

"Huh? Where's His Majesty Ferid?" Kyle asked casually.

"He went out through the back," Zahhak said curtly. "He's a busy man, you know."

"Never mind  _that_ , Kyle! Where have  _you_  been?!" Alenia interjected angrily.

" _Me_? Heh, nowhere. Just wanted to see the Prince, that's all," Kyle replied nonchalantly.

"That's  _all_?! Do you  _ALWAYS_  take your duties so lightly?!"

Galleon chose that moment to step forward. "Your Royal Highness!" he said, bowing. "Sir, you must be exhausted after your inspection of Lordlake." He rose his head slowly, looking Frey directly in the eyes. "Actually, I should have accompanied you on your trip, but His Majesty didn't give me the order…"

"Of course he didn't," Georg spoke up. "After all, Lordlake  _is_  your hometown, isn't it, Galleon? Ferid wouldn't make you go there. The guy's not heartless, you know."

"Yes, but I have already been back there once," Galleon grunted. "His Majesty needn't protect me."

"But Galleon, I don't see how you could  _EVER_  come to terms with it!" Lyon said, sadness overtaking her eyes as she remembered the horrible state they had clearly witnessed.

"It's been two years, but the Queen  _STILL_  won't even let them rebuild!" Kyle spoke, shaking his head. " _Man_ , talk about heartless…"

"Hold your tongue, Kyle!" Alenia said angrily.

He looked at her. "Alenia…"

"Her Majesty imposed a suitable punishment on those traitors, plain  _and_  simple! She did what a Queen has to do!" she defended. "And we, the Queen's Knights, have  _NO_  business second-guessing her!"

"Yeah, that's what you say, Alenia," Kyle argued, "but…"

"Silence, Kyle." Galleon clenched his fists as his sides and had his head bowed down. "No matter the circumstances, the fact remains that the people of Lordlake committed treason. They must serve their penance."

Kyle sighed. "I'm sorry, guys, but I think the Queen went  _way_  too far…"

"Kyle, how  _dare_  you disrespect our Queen?" Alenia said indignantly. "The Sun Rune is proof enough that this nation and Her Majesty have heaven's divine blessing! It's only natural that the Rune's judgment would come down on anyone who dares defy Her Majesty's authority! If you ask me, I don't think Her Majesty has used the Sun Rune enough!"

"Yeah, right!" Kyle frowned. "You're starting to sound just like Lord Godwin. And on that note, I don't know if I can trust a Knight who's merely a pawn of the Godwin family."

" _Insolent fool_! You're one to talk, seeing how you're just a mouthpiece for the Barows family!"

" _Ridiculous_! You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

"That will be enough!" Zahhak said. "Do you realize how disgracefully you're acting in front of His Royal Highness?" In unison, the three of them bowed before Frey. "We are terribly sorry, Your Highness."

"No, that's all right…" Frey said softly.

"You are most kind, Your Highness," Zahhak praised. "But we should be protecting the royal family, not getting involved in private quarrels that might affect our duties." He gave a sharp look at Kyle's way. "Kyle, especially  _you_."

"Huh?  _Me_?" He pointed to himself comically.

"Your manner of speaking sounds like criticism of Her Majesty. You should restrain yourself a little."

"That's all right, Zahhak," a deep voice resounded. "Please, everybody, continue!"

"Your Commandership!" Zahhak exclaimed, and all of the Queen's Knights, including Lyon, bowed to Ferid as he made his way towards them.

"Hmph, don't mind me," Ferid said. "As you were."

The Queen's Knights straightened.

"As you all know," Ferid continued, "Her Majesty has been troubled ever since the split between the two factions of the Senate. The Godwin faction has been gaining more and more power recently, which has caused Her Majesty much anguish. At a time like this, Her Majesty wants true loyalty from us, the Queen's Knights.

"Some people may believe that knights must give absolute obedience to their master. But that's not true loyalty. True loyalty means being able to speak openly about what you think is right and what you think is wrong."

Frey and Lyon stared at Kyle, who was closing his eyes and humming a little to himself, not really paying full attention to his commander's speech.

"Of course, I'd be upset with any fool who thought he could criticize Her Majesty wherever and whenever he wanted. But… at the very least, in this room, I want us to be able to express our views openly without fear of reprisal. Now, if there are constructive opinions you'd like to share with Her Majesty, I'll be happy to pass them on for you. Understood?"

The Queen's Knights immediately saluted. "Yes, sire!"

"Frey! Lyon!" Ferid called out, causing the attention of the two youngsters to fully focus on him.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lyon said happily.

"When you two have thoughts and ideas of your own, please don't be shy about sharing them with us. The Queen's Knights are known for their artistry with a blade. But they also have much wisdom and insight to impart. Be wise and heed their words."

"Yes, sire!" Lyon obeyed. Frey nodded his head.

While the two of them scoured the room, they came to a stop in front of Zahhak and Alenia.

"A word, if you will, Prince Frey," Alenia spoke. "His Majesty Ferid says the House of Godwin is responsible for all our troubles. Do you believe that, too?"

Frey hesitated. "I really don't know."

"The Godwins care about our country's future! It's the only reason they want to put the Sun Rune to use!" Alenia declared passionately. "It's  _absurd_  to think they're playing tricks with Her Majesty! No, we have to look out for the House of  _Barows_! Their fear of change is putting our country at risk!"

When the conversation was over, Zahhak spoke to them.

"Since His Commandership feels we should express out views… I personally feel His Commandership's actions are taking idealism to an extreme. What Falena really needs are disciplined Queen's Knights ready to act upon the will of Her Majesty." Zahhak gave a slight sigh. "Sometimes, the best way is not always the ideal way. Don't forget that, Your Highness."

This time Erza, Gray, and Natsu went with them as they walked towards Georg.

"Sounds like the Godwins want to use the Sun Rune to become a powerful force and broaden the country's borders and the Barows faction is aiming for domestic and foreign stability without the use of Runes, eh?" Georg let out a sigh. "Every country has its share of conflicts among its nobles, but it's much worse here because of the Runes. It's particularly sad that the Queen's own Knights can even agree."

Then they went to Galleon.

"Your Highness…" he said slowly. "I thank you for voicing concern to Her Majesty regarding the situation at Lordlake. I am truly grateful."

Frey gave a smile and a nod of acknowledgement before going on his way to Kyle, who was standing at the far north side of the room, seemingly thoughtful about something.

"So, Prince," he began, "did you notice anything…  _unusual_ … about Georg on your trip?"

Frey was confused, but answered honestly anyway. "Not that I can think of…"

"Hmm… I see… No big deal… It's not like this is a bad thing, but we still don't know too much about Georg. Not  _ONE_  of the Queen's Knights can match his skill in combat without Runes, except maybe His Majesty Ferid. Also, I heard a rumour that before Georg came to Falena, he served as a general in a land far to the north." Kyle paused. "Makes me wonder about his connection to His Majesty. Just what convinced him to bring Georg here? Well, come to think of it, His Majesty's also kinda mysterious! He always says he used to be some " _wayfarer_ " from the Island Nations. But I've never come across a wayfarer so  _dignified_. And  _strong_!" It was then that he seemingly caught himself. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I obviously forgot my place. I mean no disrespect to His Majesty."

After the talk with Kyle, they moved slowly, somewhat aimlessly.

"From what I've heard, it seems that your country's council… or Senate, rather… has split up due to divided opinions of your Runes," Erza spoke. "Although in my opinion, since Runes have already become a part of your culture, it has to be used for good and not for corruption. It may be complicated because there will always be greed in the presence of power, but that is why the Senate is there to bring things into order."

Lyon smiled faintly. "Do you have a Senate back in your world, too?"

Erza nodded. "We call them the Magic Council. They organize the chaos and help brought about by many guilds, thought the former is especially because of the dark guilds. Dark guilds do not have the consent of the Magic Council, therefore they are usually referred to as rebels of some sort."

"Who are the Godwins and the Barows anyway?" Gray inquired. "They sound pretty important to me."

"Who cares who they are?" Natsu said boredly.

"I am much interested now in Sir Georg's skills," Erza spoke. "Would it not mind him if I proposed a sparring session?"

"Sure," Lyon said happily. "Georg wouldn't mind. You can ask him anytime."

When they entered the Commander's quarters, Ferid was standing by one of the couches.

"Hey, there you are, Frey!" he greeted with a fatherly smile. "Have you seen your sister yet?"

"I haven't seen her yet," Frey replied.

"Well, I think you should check on her," his father advised. "I know you're tired, but I'm  _begging_  you! Please check in on her… for my ears' sake! The whole time you were gone, she would  _NOT_  stop nagging me about when you were coming back! Don't keep her waiting."

Lyon giggled as they exited. "The Princess must have shouted at him earlier while she was trying to find you."

"She sounds scary," Natsu remarked.

"She  _is,"_  Frey jested with a chuckle as they moved to go outside the guard room.

At that moment, the doors slammed open by force, revealing a small girl with a fierce expression on her face. She was very pretty, with long, straight brown hair and large eyes with the same shade. Her features were clean and refined. Coupled with her royal garments and gold earrings, she looked pretty much exquisite, if you excluded her seemingly brash mannerism.

" _Frey_!" she yelled, her head darting around the room. "Hey, has anybody seen my brother in here?!"

"Princess…" Lyon said with a smile.

" _Oh_!" Lymsleia's face instantly lit up. " _Brother_!" Immediately, she rushed over to Frey and tackled him with an affectionate hug, her expression very happy and contented. "Brother! Brother! Brother!  _Brother_!" she chanted melodiously.

" _Yikes_! Quite a welcome there…" Kyle remarked.

Frey gripped his little sister's arms warmly in acknowledgement, a handsome smile curving his lips.

"Gee, the Princess sure is crazy about her big brother, huh?" Lyon mused, giggling.

"I'm home, Lym," Frey said softly.

"Oh! Welcome back!" Lym pulled back from her embrace, looking up at her brother with adoring eyes. "I missed you  _so_  much!" She then hugged him again, causing Frey to wince at the fierceness of her grip.

"Princess," a dainty voice called out, "did you find your brother?"

At that instant, a woman in her early twenties stepped inside femininely, her blue skirt flowing slightly as she walked. She was a Queen's Knight; her armour was the same as the others', but a seemingly blue dress peeked out from the gaps of her uniform. Her purple hair was tied up into a high ponytail but with twin circles that are then tied by her black headband. Her eyes appeared to be the same shade as her hair and were the same size as her charge's.

"Oh, my, my,  _my_!" she cried, giggling as she spotted Lymsleia sticking to her brother like glue.

"Um, hello, Miakis," Frey greeted.

Miakis gave a brief curtsy. "Well, hello! Welcome home, Prince!" Her eyes then turned slightly mischievous. "You know, the two of you standing there like that, you look just like… an Armadillion father and daughter!" she giggled. " _Yup_!"

Lyon laughed unsurely.

Kyle sighed. "Oh boy, there she goes with that nonsense again…"

" _Miakis_!" Lymsleia yelled. "Need I remind you that you're my  _bodyguard_? You're not bad-mouthing me, are you?!"

" _Noooo_ , of course not," Miakis drawled teasingly. "Your Highness was imagining things."

Lymsleia grumbled in response.

"Ha ha ha! Things are never dull when you're around, Lym!"

Ferid stepped in, his face having that perpetual ready-to-smile look.

"Oh… Father!" Lym exclaimed. "It's you…"

" _Frey_!" Lym said, catching her brother's attention. "You already came to see Father and didn't bother to come see  _me_? How  _dare_  you?!"

Frey looked taken aback at the sudden accusation.

"Now, now," Ferid soothed. "Don't be so hard on your brother. Frey was looking for you, too, you know."

"But  _Father_!" Lym protested. "I wanted to see him  _so_  bad! He's always off on some inspection or something these days. He's  _never_  around! He's probably going off someplace again tomorrow, isn't he?"

Ferid looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, not  _exactly_  tomorrow. He'll be here for a while yet."

Lym looked satisfied. "Well, okay. That's good, at least. But you really keep Frey busy, don't you? Where is he going next?"

"Hmm… Since he just got back, I thought I'd wait a while to tell him. But I guess it couldn't hurt to let him know." Ferid turned to his son. "Frey, I'll be sending you to Stormfist to check on the preparations for the Sacred Games."

Lym's face lit up in recognition. "The Sacred Games?  _Oh_ , that big fighting tournament. The one that's going to decide who my husband's going to be.  _That_."

Ferid looked taken aback. "H—Hus… Well, yes…" he stuttered.

"Your Majesty…?" said Lyon.

"Not quite on board with the idea, are you, Your Majesty?" Kyle spoke up.

"Of course not!" said Ferid. "She's far too young!" Then he paused slightly. "But… she's our nation's princess. It's her sacred duty… There's nothing we can do about it."

"Well, to be fair…" drawled Kyle. "Your Majesty wouldn't be here today if you hadn't won the last Games…"

"Hey, Frey," Lym spoke. "What about you? Would you hate it if I had a fiancé, too?"

Frey grimaced. "Of course I'd hate it." The thought of his little sister already being married sent him into overprotective-big-brother mode. Just as his father had said, she was far too young for this. She hadn't even had the chance to live her life freely like other children. Her duty was imposed on her from the moment she was born. It was unfair if you thought about it in that way.

"You would, huh? Hmm…" Lym looked deep in thought.

"By the way," Ferid interjected. "Frey. I would like the three mages to go with you to Stormfist. Is that all right with you?"

Natsu and the others perked up at finally becoming acknowledged.

"Huh?" Lym turned towards the foreigners as if noticing them for the first time in the room, her expression curious and a bit distasteful at the sight of Natsu's revealing clothing. "Who're  _they,_  Father?"

"They are… friends of your brother's," Ferid explained, not wanting to go into detail. "They will be accompanying Frey wherever he goes. If you three would not mind, it is also for the sake of precaution."

"Understood, sir," Erza said. "We will be on our best behaviour."

"Good." Ferid smiled. "I am glad we are on friendly terms with each other."

"Hey, what is with your  _clothes_?" Lym addressed Natsu almost scornfully. "Men don't usually reveal their chests."

"It's my style!" Natsu replied proudly.

"And are you a hunchback or something?" ranted Lym. "Also, what is the use of that vest if you don't use it to hide your front?"

" _Hey_!" Natsu protested, looking positively offended. "I ain't a hunch —  _whatever_  that is! It's only  _Happy_!" Without further ado, he removed his vest to reveal the sleeping cat.

Lym was about to correct him on his version of the word ' _hunchback'_  when the sight of Happy instantly drowned all her unfriendliness away. " _Oh_!" she cried. "What is that? It's so  _cute_!"

"He's my partner!" Natsu said proudly. "His name is Happy!"

"He can fly and talk, Princess," Lyon supplied helpfully.

" _Wow_!" the Princess' eyes were almost sparkling. "I've never encountered a cat like that before!"

"Oh! By the way, Princess, this is Natsu, Gray, and Erza," Lyon introduced. "They are new friends of ours."

"Nice to meet you!" Lym said.

"A pleasure." Erza bowed.

Gray, on the other hand, gave a smile and a nod of acknowledgement.

"I'm Miakis!" the purple-haired Queen's Knight greeted. "Nice to meet you, too!"

After the introductions were over, Miakis brought up the topic of the Sacred Games once more.

" _Annnnyway_ … I wonder who's going to win? What kind of man will the Princess end up with?"

"They're keeping the list of applicants over at the Senate," Ferid responded. "Not that I have any interest in reading it, mind you!"

"Well _, I_ want to see it!" Miakis exclaimed. "Don't you, Princess? I bet you do!"

"Hmm… Well, maybe I'm a little curious…" said Lym.

"Ooh, ooh, can I see?" Kyle said excitedly.

"M—Me too, please!" Lyon joined in.

"That sounds kinda boring," Natsu complained.

"I—I am curious myself as well," Erza stammered, looking slightly pink.

"I'm interested in participating, but I don't think I'm fit to be a husband yet," Gray remarked. "No offense."

"None taken," Lym said evenly.

"I don't care! If it's a fight, then I'm all for it!" Natsu declared. "I'll beat them all into a pulp!"

" _Hey_!" Lym protested. "I don't want  _you_  as my husband!"

"Huh?  _That's_  the prize?" Natsu said cluelessly.

"Weren't you listening?" Kyle sighed.

"I know  _exactly_  how you feel," Gray told him.

"Then it's settled!" Miakis interrupted, looking like she was raring to go any minute now. "Come on Prince! Let's go!"

"Okay, let's go," Frey conceded, not exactly looking forward to know who his sister's husband would probably be.

"Come on, let's go read about your future brother-in-law!" Kyle teased, laughing slightly at the sullen expression on Frey's face.

"All right. We're off to the Senate Hall, then!" Miakis announced, already out the door.

When they were outside, a familiar figure was standing nearby, her hand on her hip.

"I heard what you were saying. Sounds like fun."

"Oh! Lady Sialeeds!" Kyle exclaimed. "Welcome back!"

"Oh, Aunt Sialeeds!" Lym greeted as well.

"Huh? I thought you were asleep in your room," said Miakis.

"Oh, I  _was_ ," Sialeeds said. "Off in dreamland. In my nice, warm, comfy bed — and then all of a sudden… ' _Where's Frey?!_ '" She stepped forward. "That was  _you_ , wasn't it? Lym? Miakis?  _Hmm_? You  _completely_  woke me up!"

"Lady Sialeeds, lemme clarify things!" Miakis said. "The  _Princess_  was the one doing all the shouting. I was just there!"

" _Hey_! Miakis!" Lym yelled.

Her bodyguard looked at her innocently. "What? It's true."

"Why, you…" Lym forced herself to calm down and faced her aunt, nearly stuttering in her words. "W—Well, isn't it kind of your fault, Aunt Sialeeds? Sleeping in the middle of the day like that? Frey, Lyon, and Georg just got back, too, but you don't see them just lying around! Maybe your age is catching up with you?" she said cheekily.

There was a moment of silence before Sialeeds closed her eyes, her smile almost seemingly menacing. "Lym…? Your Auntie Sialeeds couldn't hear you so well just now. Could you please repeat what you just said…?"

" _Eek_!" cried Lym as she hid behind her brother in fear. "Frey! Aunt Sialeeds is scaring me!"

Frey smiled. "You started it, Lym," he reminded her gently.

"Wh—Whaaaaat?!" Lym exclaimed in shock and anger. "Frey, you  _traitor_!"

"Well, Princess, you have to admit, what you said was kind of rude," Miakis said reasonably. "Even if it's true, you don't really need to say it, you know…" she added a bit cheekily, eliciting some poorly-concealed snickers from the others.

"Oh, thank you very much, Miakis. Why don't you teach us all some more about tact?" Sialeeds said sarcastically. "Anyway, forget it. I'm awake now, whether I like it or not. You guys are going to the Senate Hall to see the list of applicants for the Sacred Games, right? I'll go with you."

"Nothing better than a day out with all these beautiful ladies," Kyle remarked happily. " _And_  cute girls. Am I right, Prince?"

Before Frey could give a dumbfounded reply, Sialeeds interrupted.

"Less talking, more walking. Let's move it!" she announced, already walking ahead of them.

When they entered the storage room on the way due to interest from the three foreigners, Natsu, Gray, and Erza were awed at the sight of so many boxes piled up along with several treasure chests strewn all over. Curiously, Natsu poked open a few, but stopped himself afterwards when he received a warning glance from Erza.

An official was standing in the center of the room, holding a clipboard in her hand. She smiled gently, almost wistfully, as they approached.

"This room used to be Queen Falzrahm's personal treasures. She had a passion for the finest gold and jewels. But Queen Arshtat sold off her mother's treasures to fund the rebuilding after the Armes invasion. And because of that, Falena's back to its former glory eight years after the attack. In fact, it's better than ever! Some nobles criticized the Queen for selling her own mother's belongings, but personally, I think it was a wise move."

"Who's  _Fazaram_?" Natsu asked cluelessly when they exited.

"Oi, Natsu, don't go saying the former Queen's name like that," Gray told him, his eyes widening in slight alarm. "You might get arrested for treason."

"Queen Falzrahm was our mother," Sialeeds told him, courteously ignoring Natsu's innocent mistake. "During the Armes invasion… Well, that will have to be a story for another time."

They decided to give the foreigners a quick tour of the palace before they left for the Senate Hall.

In one room which they entered, an injured guard greeted them with a grin.

"Ah, Prince Frey! Welcome ba —  _Arrgh_!  _Ouch_!" he grunted painfully.

"Oh!" Lym exclaimed, coming over to his side with Miakis in tow. "Are you all right?"

"I—I'm sorry. I was wounded in the fighting eight years ago, and it still gives me trouble sometimes." A nostalgic look crossed his face. "As you may remember, Your Highness, it was a very bitter conflict that swiftly took its toll on both sides. When Queen Falzrahm died, Falena was plunged into chaos. Tension between the factions nearly escalated to civil war. Seeing Falena on the brink of civil war, the New Armes Kingdom took it as an opportunity to invade! But Queen Arshtat and Commander Ferid didn't waste any time reuniting the Queendom. Differences were put aside, and we fought back the Armes forces as a single, united front!

"And finally, raging battle after raging battle later, we succeeded in driving their army out! And it was all thanks to Queen Arshtat and Commander Ferid's spectacular leadership. Two shining lights, rushing in to save Falena in its darkest hour — it's proof of our divine protection of the sun!"

In the main hall:

"I remember that the Queen's Knights fought valiantly to protect Falena during the Armes invasion eight years ago. But they paid a heavy price… Most of them died or were too injured to continue their duties after the war. Only Sir Galleon, Commander Ferid, and Sir Zahhak remained. That's why most of the Queen's Knights on active duty these days are so young."

More information was learned:

"More than a decade ago, the ill will between the Godwin and Barows factions spilled over into bloody conflict. Even the Queen and the royal family were dragged into things! There were so many casualties... The fact that they united under the Queen's name when Armes invaded eight years ago is irony itself!"

After the quick tour, they came to the outside of the Palace.

"The Queen and the Commander seem to be very respected figures," Erza mused. "I am glad your country has found noble gems like them."

Lym's smile was radiant. "Mother and Father are the best! Right, Frey?"

Frey gave a nod, his smile adding to his agreement.

When they arrived at the front of the Senate Hall, a guard greeted them in surprise.

"His Highness! Her Highness! Lady Sialeeds! Why so many of you here at once? Is there some kind of emergency?"

"Nah, we're just being nosy," Frey quipped.

"That's right!" Lym supported with a grin.

The guard looked taken aback. "O—Oh… I see…" he stammered.

"I wouldn't call it ' _nosy'_ , Princess. We're talking about your future husband here!" Miakis said cheerily.

Lym deflated visibly. "Oh. Right. Weird… ' _Engagement'_ … ' _Future husband_ '… It all seems like some foreign language to me."

"Uh… Ahem…" The poor guard seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Oh, right, sorry. Well, as you probably overheard, we're on no official business whatsoever," Sialeeds clarified. "Can we come in?"

"O—Of course!" the guard immediately said. "Please, proceed!" He stepped to the side and made a salute, giving way for the royal family to go inside.

When they entered the Senate Hall, Natsu gawked at their surroundings.

"Whoa, this is  _huge_!" he said in awe.

When they entered the door leading to the center of the second floor, there were two officials standing before them, their chatter immediately ceasing.

"P— _Princess_?!" the young official said in surprise.

"And Lady Sialeeds, and His Highness the Prince, too!" the elderly official exclaimed.

"Oh, there's no need for that," Lym assured "Everybody,  _at ease_! Relax!"

"Don't mind us," Sialeeds supported with a small smile. "Please, carry on."

"Y—Yes, Lady Sialeeds!" the young official said and bowed before the two of them eventually left.

"There aren't many people today, are there?" Miakis brought up.

"I heard the Senate is in recess because of preparations for the Sacred Games," Lyon supplied helpfully.

"Guess most of the nobles are out on vacation," Kyle mused. "That just leaves a couple officials here and there."

Sialeeds sighed slightly. "Well, one of them's gotta have the list. Let's find it and go home." Her eyes suddenly opened, and there was a mischievous glint in them. "Or, hey, we could hang around here and gossip all day about who's backstabbing who…"

"Hey, Erza, is the Magic Council back home like this, too?" Gray asked, his hands inside his pockets.

Erza shook her head. "No. The members of the Magic Council are merely holograms. Their real bodies are in Era. There, the technology is advanced compared to here since we extensively use the benefits of magic."

"Hmm…" Gray absorbed the information in his mind.

After much navigation, they came to a stop before a certain room.

"Oh, my!  _So_  many members of the royal family all together in a place like this! How unusual!  _Welcome_!" the official standing in front of the door leading to the office exclaimed.

"Could we possibly see the list, please?" Miakis said, a hint of excitement colouring her tone.

"What's that? The list of applicants for the Sacred Games?" The official looked positively dismayed. "I—I'm  _so_  sorry, Prince! The clerk in charge of the list is on break right now. I'll send someone down to bring them back right away! If you could just wait a moment, Your Highness…?"

"Of course," Frey said reassuringly. "We will come back later."

"Thank you," Lyon bowed before following her charge.

"So what do we do now?" Sialeeds spoke, folding her arms across her chest.

"It'll take a while. Maybe we could use the time to tour the entire Senate Hall?" Lyon suggested.

"It would be interesting to learn more about your country's politics," Erza said, smiling.

"Aw, that's boring…" Natsu complained.

"I'd like to learn more about the Godwin faction," Gray said. "They sound like a force to be reckoned with."

"That's because they  _are,"_  Sialeeds said quietly. "The extent of their power and authority is still unknown to me, but I know that it is on a scale of a large magnitude among Falena and its other branches. The Barows faction has their own power among the others as well. However, when compared to the Godwins, they seem lacking."

While they were strolling around, they could hear pieces of conversations from nearby nobles.

"Barows' words are pleasant enough, but they're words and nothing more! That man cares only for his money. His bargains with Armes and the Island Nations bring him wealth. When he speaks of peace, he does so only for the good of his pocketbook. Between his backroom deals and his legions of mercenaries, he's a  _fraud_ , and a dangerous one at that."

"Lord Barows thinks of nothing but the Games these days. No doubt he's hoping to position himself as the Princess' guardian and regain some of his power. Would that counteract the Godwin faction's pull in the Senate? Who knows? I know  _this_ , though… The Games are only taking place now, while the Princess is still so young, because Barows  _pushed_  for it. I suppose if I had to put myself in either camp, I'd say I'm with the Barows faction. But to be honest, I'm not overly happy with some of the things Lord Barows comes out with sometimes…"

Sialeeds noticed Natsu's even more confused expression and smiled.

"In the simplest terms, the Senate is assembled from the heads of major households," Sialeeds explained to him. "Lord Marscal Godwin and Lord Salum Barows are the two most prominent examples. The Senate itself is a forum for political discussion. Its members pass recommendations to the Queen."

"Recommendations?" Erza spoke.

"Yes, the Senate's decisions are nothing more than recommendations, you see," Sialeeds said. "Of course, it's up to my sister — the Queen — whether or not to act on those recommendations." A snort came out of Sialeeds' lips. "At least, that's how it appears on the surface. In reality, Arshtat can't ignore the decisions made by the Senate. If she ignored them, she'd only make enemies. Numerous and powerful enemies."

"Whoa, sounds complicated," Natsu remarked.

As they navigated themselves further into the halls, pieces of conversations were heard once more:

"Armes has sent its minions to apply for the Sacred Games. So they plan to usurp our nation from the inside, do they? By seizing the Princess' hand in marriage? Such  _audacity_ , even for them!"

"The Sacred Games will be held at the arena in Stormfist. So it's been since many,  _many_  years ago, when Stormfist was the Queendom's capital city. When the capital moved here instead, the Sacred Games were all that stayed behind. These days, Stormfist is Godwin territory. Some worry themselves about that. Still, best not to upset the good Lord Godwin. Mum's the word, and all."

"His Majesty Commander Ferid is one of the greatest contestants in the history of the Sacred Games. Arshtat insisted that he be allowed to enter, even though his background was a complete mystery. And he  _won_!  _Purely_  on his own merits! Without a gladiator or anyone else fighting for him! Then, in the Armes invasion eight years ago, he led us from the front lines, wielding a sword like a common soldier! That sort of gung-ho attitude has made him a hero among the people. But some members of the nobility certainly don't look upon him with such favor."

A noble spoke to Frey. "The Sacred Games are crucial in deciding Her Highness' future husband. It's always a tough competition, and it's open to any man in the world. Technically, anyone can win… but the nobles can always afford the very best gladiators, and anyone who can't is all but doomed. Aside from your father, Highness, the winner has almost always been either a Godwin or a Barows."

There was an exit nearby. Frey, in his peripheral vision, noticed that Natsu looked extremely bored, Gray not too far from yawning. Even Erza appeared to be sweating slightly due to trying her best in understanding Falena's history. It was touching to see that she was doing her utmost; it looked like he was right after all. They weren't a danger to the country.

"I'd like to go outside for a bit," Frey proposed, eliciting a small, relieved smile from Gray.

"Fresh air," Natsu said, exhaling. "Man, those people are too loud."

"That's usually the way it goes here in the Senate," Lyon told him with a small smile.

Frey crouched down, spotting something shiny between the bushes. He then obtained the Mega Medicine.

When they got back inside the Senate Hall after the short break, Lyon noticed that they hadn't yet visited the central room.

"I gotta funny feeling about this…" Natsu muttered.

When they entered, Lym was happily swinging her brother's arm, Frey smiling at her antics.

But then a voice suddenly resounded in the room.

"Oh- _ho_! If it isn't the Princess! A most fortuitous meeting, yes,  _yes_?"

" _Ugh_ …" Kyle muttered.

"Ah, and Her Royal Highness Sialeeds, and His Royal Highness the Prince! Oh, and I see Kyle is with you, too! Ha ha!" the man before them exclaimed boisterously.

He was a noble, and a very particular one at that. He was a small, overweight man, with a large nose, a beard, and a bald scalp. He wore nobles' clothes consisting of a light-purple vest and a white shirt with frills above the chest area.

"Oh, and the others, too," the man said as an afterthought, not even looking at them.

"What a stuck-up," Natsu muttered. "Who the heck is he, anyway?"

"Oh ho ho! Such a pleasure to run into so many people that I usually don't get a chance to see! Oh, yes indeed, I,  _Salum Barows_ , am a very lucky man today, if I do say so myself! Ha ha ha!" he said raucously, making excited gestures in the air. "Yes! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Whaaaaaaaatt?!" Gray's jaw dropped open. " _He's_  that  _Barows_  guy?  _Him_?"

"Eh? What's a Barows?" Natsu asked, confused.

"Haven't you been listening?" Gray sighed. "He's the head of the Barows faction, Salum Barows. One of the two divided factions in the Senate. He has power and authority over about a half of the people."

" _Whaaaat_? That crazy old man? You gotta be kidding me! Hahahaha!" Natsu guffawed.

"Shush, you two!" Erza snapped. "Stop being disrespectful!"

"Uh, hello…" Frey said hesitantly.

"Oh, my, my, Your Royal Highness. You do sound a tad fatigued, yes?" Salum remarked. "Come to think of it, you and Her Royal Highness Sialeeds just got back from an inspection visit, did you not, sir? Oh- _ho_! No wonder you're so exhausted, then! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Rather, Frey is just tired of listening to him ramble," Gray whispered into Natsu's ear, causing both of them to snicker to themselves as quietly as they could so as to not incur Erza's wrath once again.

"So, Lord Barows," Sialeeds spoke up, tilting her head slightly, "why have you graced us with your presence today?" She put her hands to her hips and stepped forward. "What business would bring a man of your stature all the way here? The Senate's in recess, after all."

"Hey, hey," Natsu said, nudging Gray. "Don't you think he looks like some sort of fish?"

Gray nodded, looking thoughtful. "Now that you mention it… Yeah, he does. What is it called again? Isn't it one of Happy's favourites?"

"Huh… I forgot, too… Hmm… Is it tuna?"

"No…"

Suddenly they both slammed their fists on their palms as a huge light bulb lit up above their heads. Then they turned towards each other and grinned.

" _Salmon_!" And broke out in snickers.

"Hey, hey, and it sounds just like his name, too!" Natsu guffawed. "Doesn't it? Salmon...  _Salum_... Salum...  _Salmon_...!  _Ahahaha_!"

They both slapped each other on the back with tears in their eyes.

"You guys…" Erza said, a tick forming on her head. "Don't be rude…!"

"Ha ha! A man of my stature? Oh, no! Oh, my, my! You're far too kind!" Salum cried, rushing towards the prince and the princess in his enthusiasm.

Lym instinctively lowered her face into her brother's arm, trying her best to get as far away as she could from the older man. Frey, on the other hand, reflexively stepped back, looking bewildered at Salum's exaggerated whims.

"Indeed, though it's true I've been made the head of my faction, I'm little more than a glorified facilitator. And now that the Senate is out of session, I have to run about on little errands, attending to trivial details," Salum explained almost gleefully.

"Uh huh," Sialeeds said flatly.

Suddenly a voice interjected, "C'mon, Dad! Hurry up! Lemme say hello to the Princess, too!"

The speaker was a young man, about more than a few years older than Lym, with long blond hair tied into a low ponytail with a red ribbon and honey-coloured eyes. His features were okay, yet there was a hint of regality to them, along with something else that Sialeeds herself always referred to him in her mind.

"Ah, Euram," Salum said proudly, stepping away to give the young boy his spotlight. "My, my, sorry about that, son."

"Greetings, everyone," Euram said with a whisk of his hand, causing his elegant clothing to flow about in accordance to his actions. "I trust you are all well? I am Euram Barows, son of the great Salum Barows." He introduced himself with an equally elegant bow. Then, he immediately kneeled before Lym, regarding her with respect and something akin to adoration. The young girl reflexively took a step back.

"Ah, fair Princess!" Euram exclaimed. "Do you… remember me, perchance?"

"Uh… yes! We met a few times at the Sun Palace banquets, I think…" Lym said hesitantly.

Euram's face instantly lit up and he quickly stood on his feet, looking as happy as he could be. "Oh, Princess! You  _do_  remember me! My, my, I am truly the  _happiest_  man alive!"

Lym laughed nervously.

"And I, too," Euram continued on, "have never once —  _no_ , not for one day…!  _No_ , not even for one moment —  _forgotten_  how you looked!"

"…He's really something else, isn't he?" Gray said.

"…" For once, Erza had nothing to say.

"He sounds like an idiot," Natsu muttered.

"Just like you?" Gray said sarcastically.

" _Hey_! You lookin' for a fight, Droopy Eyes?!"

Erza bonked their heads together. "Get a grip, you two!" she threatened. "If I hear one more peep out of you…"

"And now," Euram rambled on, "with the elegant object of my affection standing before me —  _oh_! — my heart is about to flutter away!" He then once more kneeled before Lym. "Oh,  _Princess_! You are like a precious gem in the heavens that someone such as I could never,  _ever_ , hope to reach!" He started to slowly reach out for her hand. "But, please! If you would just permit me to kiss that ever-so-lovely hand of yours, I…  _Ahhh_!"

Before he could do well on his words, though, Miakis promptly seized his wrist and twisted it slightly.

"That's more than enough of that," she said.

"Huh…?" Euram looked like he was in a daze.

" _Miakis_!" Lyon exclaimed. "Where did you come from?"

"Just in time!" Kyle grinned, giving her a not-so subtle thumbs-up.

"The only gentlemen allowed to touch the Princess are His Majesty Ferid and His Royal Highness the Prince. If you still insist on doing so, you'd better be prepared for the consequences," Miakis told him sweetly.

Euram gulped. "C— _Consequences_?"

Miakis swiftly took out a dagger and pointed it at him while still smiling her innocent smile. "The waters of the Feitas River are  _really_  cold, you know."

Euram swallowed once more. "I'm s—s— _so_  sorry! Her beauty must have dazzled me so that I lost my wits! Please, forgive me!" he pleaded. Then, with conviction in his expression, he turned towards the Princess. "But allow me this Your Loveliness! Allow me to predict our future, with all those present as our witnesses! I,  _Euram Barows_ , will someday be the  _third_  man to touch you!"

There was a brief silence.

"Um… What are you talking about?" Lym spoke up.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! He speaks of the Sacred Games, Princess!" Salum explained with a smile. "He's one of the applicants, you see!"

Gray snorted. Natsu, on the other hand, put a hand to his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter but failing miserably.

"W—What…? Th—That wimpy guy…?" he choked out. "He looks like he can't even wield a sword! I bet Erza can flatten him in one second!"

"I agree with you there," Gray snickered.

"Shush," Erza said, but she looked amused as well.

"I… I see…" Lym said, looking a bit unconvinced herself.

"Fierce competitors will gather from all over the country — from  _beyond_  its borders even — but I do not fear them!" Euram declared passionately. "In your name, Princess, victory shall be mine!"

"Wow. You, uh, must be stronger than you look," Lym said hesitantly. "Can you really, you know, swing a sword?"

"Ha ha ha!" Euram exclaimed. "Her Highness jests! A sword?  _Me_? I'm no barbarian. We have found a mighty champion! He shall carve my way to your heart!"

Lym looked angry. "My heart's got no place for a  _wimp_  like you!" she snapped.

Both Gray and Natsu's muffled, mocking laughter could be heard as a faint echo, but fortunately, both Salum and Euram were too shocked to register it into their minds.

"W— _Wimp_?!" Euram choked out. "Wha—You—Your Royal Highness—"

"You want to be my husband? Why don't you earn the right yourself, like my father did?!" Lym added, annoyed.

"Now I'm starting to like her," Natsu remarked.

"Hey, Lym, I understand how you feel, but…" Sialeeds began.

"It's a long-standing tradition that one may have a representative compete in the tournament for him," Salum explained.

Lym crossed her arms. " _Hmph_!"

"Otherwise," Salum continued on, "noble Falena's royal family would be filled with barbarians who were good at only one thing —  _fighting_!" Then he coughed at the vehement look on Lym's face. "…Not to call His Majesty Ferid a barbarian, by any means… Please don't misunderstand me…"

Lym growled.

Natsu did the same. "And I'm starting to dislike that guy by the second."

Gray nodded. "Me, too."

Erza, on the other hand, looked thoughtful.  _He does look a little fishy, but that is not reason enough to be suspicious of him…_ she thought, referring to Salum.  _But there's just something about him that nags at me… and I don't know what._

"Princess, there's no need for such animosity," Salum said calmly, causing the young girl to become more irritated at his unaffected countenance. "When Euram wins your hand, we'll be the ones supporting you, backing you… You and I shall be allies." Then he gave a knowing look at the royal family. "I'm sure you know of Her Majesty's difficulties with the Godwin faction… I'm a Senator, too, you know. And let us not mince words: Lord Godwin is a bloodthirsty  _maniac_! He thinks only of wringing more taxes from the people, expanding our army, suppressing rebellion! And he would subjugate our neighbours with the Sun Rune itself, use it to rule the world! If we cannot hold back his lunacy, our enemies will multiply, here and abroad! Falena will fall apart! But together, you and I can stem the tide of his madness!"

"But that's… only if Euram's champion can win the games," Lym spoke.

Salum looked pleased. "We understand each other, then." Then he let out a short breath. "Oh, my. I must be getting old — all this rambling… You must all be so weary of me."

"Well, that's an understatement," Gray muttered. Kyle, who was beside him, heard it and suppressed his snickers.

"I should take my leave, then," Salum finished, then turned towards Kyle, who immediately stopped his laughter. "Sir Kyle, young man, we expect great things from you."

"Yeah, thanks" was Kyle's clipped reply.

"Princess, we shall meet again, for such is our destiny," Euram said in farewell, bowing before Lym before making his and Salum's ' _graceful'_  exit.

Sialeeds let out a sigh.

"I'm so tired all of a sudden…" Lyon said.

"Me, too," Natsu said, yawning. "That guy was so boring, and his voice was freakin' annoying!"

"' _Sir Kyle, young man…_ ' What are we, best buds?" Kyle grumbled.

"That old man's too glib for his own good…" Sialeeds said. "Frey, Lym, what did you think?"

"I can't quite trust him," Frey said quietly.

"Me neither," Lym said wearily. "He's too slick. He must have rehearsed that whole thing. He didn't mean a word of it. He just wants to use me. That's all."

Sialeeds smiled in slight satisfaction. "Well, if you're that sharp, we shouldn't have to worry about him."

"Really?" Miakis spoke up. "But what if that boy's fighter wins the competition…?"

"Don't jinx it, Miakis!" Lym said.

"But she's right, isn't she?" Lyon interjected. "If Euram wins, he'll be the next Commander of the Queen's Knights, after Ferid!"

"If that happens, I'm out," Kyle said with a tone of finality to his voice. "No way I'm serving under that guy."

Gray sympathetically patted his back.

"Let's just hope someone else out there steps up and wins the Games…" Sialeeds murmured.

"But did you notice the way he spoke earlier?" Erza said seriously. "He said, ' _When Euram wins your hand_ '. He said ' _when'_ , not ' _if'_."

Sialeeds gave a huff. "As if he's confident about his son winning the Games."

They started to tour the room and talked to the nobles and officials discussing about politics.

"Those Godwin buffoons! What are they playing at? ' _Let's increase taxes!_ ' ' _Let's bring in the draft!_ ' What's next? Do they plan to better the nation by choking its people to death?" The noble jolted when he saw Frey and the others listening to his rambles. " _Oh_! Y— _Your Highness_! I, er, didn't see you there! I was just… uh… mumbling to myself."

Next was an elderly official.

"Queen Arshtat has my sympathy. Half the nobility supports the Godwin faction, so she can't afford to ignore them, no matter what they propose. But she has to keep them in check, too. Meanwhile, the Barows faction's falling over itself to please her. Managing the Senate is an endless,  _thankless_  task for her, especially these days. People say Her Majesty has changed recently, but quite frankly, I'm  _not_  surprised!"

Another noble was next.

"Your Highness, what's the state of Lordlake? Terrible, I suppose. What happened was obviously  _regrettable_ , but  _unavoidable_ , in my opinion. After all, Her Majesty gave Lord Rovere such  _trust_ , such  _compassion_. To let his betrayal go unpunished would have been to invite disaster upon us all. What could have possessed a man like Rovere to support an uprising? He'd shown Her Majesty such  _devotion_! To this day, I don't understand."

And the last official.

"The New Armes Kingdom is to the east of Falena. Much of Lord Barows' territory is in the east of Falena, so they suffered a lot in the invasion eight years ago. The Godwins' land is in the west, so they were relatively unscathed, you see. Now the Barows faction is trying to improve relations with Armes, while the Godwins are getting them riled up!"

After the rather long tour ended, all of them went back to the office, seeing as it was now about the end of the recess.

"Oh, Your Highness!" the official exclaimed. "The clerk in charge of the list is finally back!" She stepped away. "Please go on inside."

" _Finally_ ," Natsu remarked, earning him a giggle from Lyon.

"Good heavens! The Princess! And Lady Sialeeds, and His Highness the Prince, too…!" the official standing before the desk exclaimed in surprise. "I'm so very sorry to have kept you waiting, Your Highness!"

"Sorry, we should have warned you…" Frey apologized.

Then all of them turned to a certain purple-haired bodyguard.

"Hear  _that_ , Miakis?" Kyle said.

"Yeah, we really should have been more considerate," said Miakis nonchalantly. " _Lyon_ , what were you  _thinking_?"

"What?!  _Me_!?" Lyon exclaimed in shock.

"Miakis, be nice…" Lym scolded.

"Listen to your Princess, Miakis," added Sialeeds. Then she turned towards the clerk. "Right. I hope we're not interrupting anything. Can we just see it, please?"

"Y—Yes, Lady Sialeeds! Yes, Your Highness!  _Right away_!"

In no time, the list was presented to them on the desk, and everyone huddled together to get a closer look.

" _Whoa_ , quite a few of 'em," Miakis remarked.

"W—Wow…" Erza muttered in amazement. "So many names…"

"Hmm… Let's have a look," said Sialeeds.

"How many entrants are there in all?" Lyon asked.

"Well, let's see," said the clerk. "We have about ninety applications here."

Frey's eyes went wide. "Ninety?  _That_  many?!"

" _Awesome_!" Natsu cheered.

"Whoa!" Miakis laughed. "You're really popular, aren't you, Princess!"

"Hmm… But is that really a good thing? I mean, what if they're all like Euram Barows?" Lym wondered aloud.

"Don't worry, Princess," Kyle assured. "He's one of a kind, if you ask me."

Gray snorted in amusement.

"After the final screening process, and the royal family's approval…" The clerk looked thoughtful for a moment. "…the final number of competitors ought to be about forty."

"So, what kind of suckers—" Kyle coughed after receiving a look from Sialeeds. "—er,  _brave warriors_  — do we have?"

"An ex-dragon Cavalry soldier, a Lindwurm Mercenary… and even a disciple of Master Haia from Kanakan!" read Lyon, her tone that of wonder. "Wow! What an amazing lineup!"

"Oh…" Sialeeds suddenly spoke. "So  _he_  applied, too, huh?"

"Anything wrong, Lady Sialeeds?" Kyle asked.

"Nah…" Sialeeds said almost dismissively. "I just found a name that brings back a few memories, that's all." She pointed towards the printed calligraphy. "See?  _Gizel Godwin_. Lord Godwin's son."

" _Oh_!" Miakis exclaimed.

"Lady Sialeeds…" Kyle murmured.

Sialeeds gave the briefest of chuckles. "My ex-fiancé wants to marry my niece. This'll be awkward."

"F— _Fiancé_?!" Lym said in shock.

"…" Erza could not say a word due to the heat growing in her cheeks and the embarrassment flowing into her.

Sialeeds glanced at her niece. "Oh, right. You were little back then. What, you didn't know either, Lyon?"

"It's the first I've heard of it!" Lyon exclaimed. "But I thought the last Sacred Games were sixteen years ago…?"

"They were," Sialeeds answered. "But those were for Arshtat, not me. She was the one in line for the throne.  _I_  didn't get any Games."

"Oh…" Lyon murmured.

"Anyway, it's ancient history," Sialeeds said. "Let's not get all flustered over some petty political match-up from years ago. Besides, we were the ones who called it off. It wouldn't have worked out."

"I've seen Gizel Godwin," Lym spoke up. "Once or twice, at banquets. He looked… well, much better than Euram Barows, at least." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm… Him and Aunt Sialeeds, huh?"

Sialeeds blinked. "I don't know what you're thinking about, but I'm telling you it really doesn't matter anymore. Don't worry about it, okay?" Then she smiled and turned to the clerk. "So! Who's the man to beat this time?"

The clerk looked flustered. "P—Pardon, Lady Sialeeds?! I—I really couldn't say, Your Highness…"

"Probably either Gizel or Euram," Lyon said. "They can both afford really strong champions…"

"You never know. Some commoner might come out of nowhere and save the day…" Kyle said hopefully.

"We'll find out when it happens," said Sialeeds. "Remember what happened at the last Sacred Games? Everyone thought the finalists would be Godwin and Barows. And then,  _boom_! Along came Ferid."

"Exciting, eh, Princess?" Miakis said.

"I don't know. It still feels like it doesn't have anything to do with me," Lym said slowly. "Like something out of a storybook…"

"Thanks. I hope we didn't bother you too much," Sialeeds said.

"No, Lady Sialeeds!" the clerk assured. "It was our pleasure! No bother at all! When the list is officially completed, we'll bring it to the Sun Palace right away!"

"Good. Please do that," Lym said.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

* * *

•••

* * *

When they were finally out of the Senate Hall, Natsu stretched his arms.

"Outside at last!" he cheered. "That suffocating smell almost clogged my nostrils!"

"Whew, now that was a large dose of history and political lessons," commented Gray.

"I have learned a lot of things from this place," said Erza proudly.

"I'm glad you all enjoyed," Sialeeds told them.

The bell rang at that moment, signalling the beginning of mid-afternoon.

"Is it that time already?" Sialeeds said.

Miakis turned to her charge. "Princess, you should get back to your room. It's time for your afternoon studies."

"Yes… I guess you're right," Lym said with a sigh.

"Studies? How boring…" Natsu complained. Then he shivered uncontrollably. "I can still remember that time when Erza taught me about the  _alphabet_ … that was the most _traumatizing_  experience of my life…!"

Gray patted him sympathetically on the shoulder. "It must have been terrible for you."

"Huh?" Very slowly, Erza turned to them with a death glare. "Did you say something, Natsu?"

"N—No…!  _I'm soooorryyyy_!"

Knowing to ignore them whenever they got like that, Frey turned to his sister. "Why don't you take the day off?" he suggested.

"I wish she could, too, but… the Queen…" Miakis said hesitantly.

"A-ha! So even  _you're_  afraid of Arshtat the way she is now, huh, Lym?" Sialeeds said.

"I'm not afraid of her!" Lym disagreed. "Mother's strict with me. That's natural. If I don't study really,  _really_  hard, I won't ever be the Queen she is!" She turned towards her brother and tears welled up in her eyes. "Frey… I want to stay with you, but it looks like I've gotta be a Princess…" She sniffled. "Please come see me when you can. Every second you're away—"

"You'll see him at dinner," Sialeeds interjected. "Don't be such a drama queen."

"Why do you always do that, Auntie?!" Lym said angrily. "Why do you  _always_  ruin the mood?!" She then turned her back and walked away with a huff. "Come on, Miakis."

"Yes, Princess," Miakis said dutifully, following after her. "See you later, Prince."

Sialeeds let out a yawn. "I guess I'll go back, too, and get some more sleep." Then she walked back to the Sun Palace as well.

"Sweet dreams, Lady Sialeeds," Kyle called out.

"Yeah, yeah. Good night…"

Lyon turned to her charge. "Prince, what do you want to do now?"

"I don't know," Frey said. "Any ideas?"

"Hey, let's go check out that new Rune shop!" Kyle suggested. "You heard about the owner? Everybody's saying she's gorgeous! You want to check her out, too, don't you, Prince?"

Frey blinked. "Not really."

Kyle looked incredulous.  _"What?_  What about you guys?" he asked the three mages.

Natsu held up a hand, his face uninterested. "Nope."

Gray had a pokerface expression of his own. "Not interested."

"I am not interested in women," Erza said flatly.

Kyle gave up and turned to Frey. "But Prince! Your obligation as a Prince is to  _'inspect'_  the land…  _and_  its citizens, isn't it?"

"Um… Kyle?" Lyon spoke up. "The Prince said he's not interested, so don't try to force him…"

"Lyon, this is a necessary step in the Prince's growth into manhood!" Kyle said passionately.

"Jeez, cut it out already!" Lyon said, annoyed. Then she sighed. "…I give up. Let's go and get this over with."

"All right! Now that everybody's in agreement, let's go, Prince!" Kyle said happily.

But before they could, a dark-haired woman approached them, causing Kyle to gape at her exotic beauty.

She looked like she was in her late twenties, or perhaps that was due to her makeup, especially her red lipstick. But even though that was the case, she still had that elegant aura that seemed to exude from her form at all times. She had long dark hair almost coming to her waist, and her equally dark-shaded eyes held a sort of mystery to her. She wore a simple cream-white dress, almost blending with her pale-white skin.

"Greetings, Erza Scarlet," she said softly, her lips curving into a smile. "Also to you, Fire Dragon Slayer Natsu Dragneel and Ice-Make Wizard Gray Fullbuster."

"Wh—Wha—You're from the _Council_ , aren't you?!" Erza exclaimed in surprise. "You came to this world as well?!"

"Why, yes, Erza-san," the woman said with another smile. "Oh, forgive my manners. I am Ultear Milkovich of the Magic Council. Pleased to meet you."

"P—Pleased to meet you, too," Erza stammered, bowing. She was still reeling from the fact that they were not actually alone.

Then did that mean that there were others? Had their comrades back in the guild also travelled here?

Meanwhile, Gray was staring at Ultear in pure, utter shock. He could not believe it.

" _I will save you from your darkness."_

" _NO! STOP, UL—!"_

_The ice shatters her body into pieces—_

"Would it be possible to talk to you three… in  _private_?" Ultear was saying, eyeing the Prince and the others unsurely.

"O—Oh! Don't mind me!" Kyle said, immediately leaving. "C'mon, Prince, Lyon!"

"We'll be waiting for you at the main plaza, okay?" Lyon told them before following.

"So, what's this about?" Natsu asked flatly. "And are you really a member of the Council? You look young!"

" _Natsu_!" Erza snapped. "Don't be rude!"

"Oh, my," Ultear said, giggling. "I'll take that as a compliment, Natsu-san." Then her expression turned solemn. "Erza-san, it is not only I who has found myself in this strange world. I have a companion, and he is from the Magic Council as well. I am sure you have already met him…"

Erza froze. "Don't tell me…"

"...Erza?" Natsu inquired, puzzled at her odd reaction.

"Hello, Erza," a smooth, velvety voice came from behind the red-haired woman, causing her eyes to widen and her posture to stiffen. "Coincidence to see you here."

"… _Siegrain_ ," Erza gritted out, turning around to face him.

The older man had a semblance of a smile on his face, though Erza somehow felt that it was malicious. Compared to the way she felt when meeting Ultear, the casualness was nothing compared to the oppressiveness she felt when facing Siegrain.

The man was attractive. He had light-blue hair that had smooth spikes, probing olive-green eyes, and a distinctive red tattoo embedded vertically by the side of his right eye. He wore an immaculately white coat, signifying his position and elegance.

Both him and Ultear looked considerably different from the three of them.

"Siegrain-sama, this is now our time to reveal our plan to them," Ultear told him.

"Plan?" Erza inquired almost hesitantly.

" _Plan_?" Natsu said excitedly.

Gray stayed silent, still stealing glances over at Ultear.

"You three are accompanying the Prince of Falena, am I right?" Siegrain said, his expression serious.

For only this moment, Erza forced herself to become professional and calm. "Yes."

"The two of us wish to support you Fairy Tail mages in your journey," Siegrain said with a smile. "However, we cannot ensure if the Prince will trust in us, so we will work on the sidelines."

"We have detected some malicious auras here in Sol Falena," Ultear continued. "Siegrain-sama and I will investigate them and see if we could take care of them before it would cause trouble to this country. Siegrain-sama assumed that if some Fairy Tail mages and the Council as well have been transported to this world, then it is also likely possible for other guilds, especially Dark Guilds, to come here as well."

Natsu, Erza, and Gray froze at that.

"Fairy Tail has always been such an amusing guild," Siegrain mused. "It is sort of an honour to be helping you out."

 _Really?_  Erza thought as she stared at him.  _Is there_  really _no ulterior motive?_

 _What are you_ really _thinking, Siegrain?_

"You sure you guys can handle it?" Gray said, speaking up for the first time.

Ultear sent him a smile. "I feel I am perfectly capable enough, but with Siegrain-sama here, there will be no problem. He  _is_  one of the Ten Wizard Saints, after all."

Natsu's jaw dropped. " _Whaaat_?! That guy's  _that_  powerful?" he exclaimed, pointing at Siegrain's amused face. "Hey, fight me!"

"Natsu, don't," Erza told him calmly, her eyes closed. "You'll be annihilated in a span of a few seconds."

"S— _SERIOUSLY_?! Amazing!"

Meanwhile, Gray wasn't really listening. _It can't be_ , he thought to himself.  _It can't be… That smile… She looks so much like…_

_Ul…_

"Anyway, we'd best leave for the moment," Ultear told them, seemingly unaware of Gray's conflicted, troubled thoughts. "We are still finding the causes of the malicious intents we sensed. We will contact you when we acquire the necessary information."

"Wait," Erza called out before they left. "How can you contact us?"

"Ah, I almost forgot about that," Siegrain said softly. With small, intent steps, he went towards Erza and placed a ring on her hand.

"This will be our medium of communication," he told her. "It is similar to a communication lacrima."

"…How can I use it?" she asked quietly.

"Place it in your ring finger and channel magic into it." He gave her a knowing look before leaning towards her ear. "Oh, and by the way, Erza…"

The latter's eyes widened into saucers after Siegrain finished telling her what he wanted her to know. He looked amused at her horrified expression and left with Ultear without a word.

"Erza?" Natsu asked, looking worried. "What's wrong?"

"…Nothing," Erza said, lowering her head so they wouldn't see her expression. "Let's go. We mustn't keep Prince Frey waiting."

"Erza…" This time, Gray was the one who said it.

"I said it's nothing."

" _By the way, Erza…_

"Jellal… _is here as well."_

 _Jellal_ … Erza thought, gritting her teeth. _What are you going to do now that you're not in your tower anymore?_

_...Are you still going to kill me?_


	5. Iron Fist

 

"Who were those people?" Lyon asked curiously.

"They were… acquaintances of ours back in our world," Erza said carefully. "They're a part of the Magic Council, and they are eager to help us in order to find a way to get back to our home. They, however, insist on working on the sidelines, so you can consider them as our allies.

"What bothers me, though, is that if they are able to get to this world as well, then there surely must be others."

"That's worrying," Lyon said in concern. "Let's talk about it with Ferid later, okay, Prince?"

Frey nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, the Rune shop is in the westernmost part of town," Lyon said as they trudged down the left flight of stairs. "It will take us about five or six minutes at most."

Natsu felt a wriggle on his back and grinned. "Oh, Happy? You awake now?"

The blue cat rubbed at his eyes as his head popped out from the confines of Natsu's vest. "Hm? Natsu? Where are we?" he asked sleepily.

"We're goin' to some shop! Did you get a good rest?"

"Yes, but…" Happy looked downcast. "I can't use my magic anymore… it's like something's preventing me from using it…"

"Just like what we felt back in the outskirts of Lordlake," Erza realized. "But how could you have been able to use magic earlier?"

"I don't know, either…" Happy muttered.

"Hey, maybe that Rune Shop babe can help you guys out!" Kyle suggested eagerly. "I've heard she knows almost everything about Runes, and Runes are our ultimate source of magic, so maybe she can do something about your predicament."

Erza smiled. "That idea is sound. Then we shall make haste."

After crossing a few bridges and passing houses, they came upon an item shop. The four mages wanted to check it out, so Frey and the others allowed them, albeit with a slightly impatient Kyle in tow.

"I—Is th—that…?" Erza suddenly stuttered, her cheeks pink.

Lyon looked at the direction she was staring at. "Oh, those are cheesecakes, Lady Erza," she told the older woman. "We use them to recover our energy."

"Uh oh," Gray jested.

"So cute," Kyle mused, grinning. "Do you want them?"

"Yes! B—But…" Erza stared at her wallet, looking crestfallen. "The money we use in our world can't be used here…"

"Here," Frey said, smiling gently as he gave her three cheesecakes.

Erza's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "P—P—P—Prince Frey! It's all right, you sh—shouldn't have—"

Lyon smiled. "Take it as a token of our gratitude for helping us."

"But…" Erza stared at the cheesecakes on her hands in dismay, yet her eyes had a tiny hint of an excited sparkle in them. "We're the ones who asked you for help…"

"You are helping us as well," Frey assured her.

Erza stared at him in determination. "Thank you so much. I shall never forget this debt!"

"Too bad those things are sweet," Natsu grumbled. "Maybe they taste good with hot sauce…"

Gray bonked him on the head. "No, they don't."

" _HEY_! You want a piece of me?!"

All of them now went to the Rune Shop with Erza looking giddy behind them as well as Gray and Natsu having their usual bicker.

"Anybody here?" Kyle called out in a somewhat singsong voice, the others trailing behind him as they went through the door.

A plain-looking woman dressed in the standard grey vendor uniform turned around at Kyle's voice. "Welcome to—" Her voice cut off when she caught sight of her customers. " _Ack_! Queen's Knights… and the  _Prince_?! Oh, my goodness!" She took a step towards them eagerly. "H—Have you come to shop for Runes?!"

Kyle's voice was smooth. "Hey, take it easy. Relax. We just want to ask you something… Where's that really hot girl that works here?"

Lyon resisted the urge to face-palm.

Meanwhile, the four mages were utterly uninterested.

"This doesn't look like a magic shop," Natsu remarked. "Looks kinda dreary to me."

Erza glanced at the firelight that was one of the two things that lit up the room. "It does seem kind of dim here…"

Gray appeared intrigued by the glowing gem that was on the counter, placed comfortably on a lavish-looking purple pillow with gold trimmings at the sides. "Is that what they call a Rune?"

"Whoa,  _that_?" Natsu looked enthralled and excited by the sight of the brightly-glowing Rune. "Awesome!"

"Hey, hey, what does it do?" Happy asked eagerly from his place on Natsu's shoulder.

Their excitement was brought to a temporary halt at the vendor woman's sigh.

"You, too, huh? Even the Prince and a Queen's Knight…" She seemed to deflate at the disappointing information. "The owner is off today."

"Oh, come on!" Kyle complained. "Are you serious?"

" _Kyle_!" Lyon chastised. She then turned to the vendor with sympathy in her eyes. "We're sorry to have bothered you."

The woman gave a small, weary smile. "No, that's all right. It's just… This is a Rune shop, not a club or a sideshow. No one  _ever_  buys anything here. They just come to…  _look_!"

Frey stepped forward. "I might be in need of your skills, miss," he implored softly, gesturing towards the four mages who were standing a little ways behind them. "These people are my comrades. They belong to a land far away from here, and they cannot use their magic at the moment. Would it be rude of me to suddenly ask of your services?"

The woman instantly looked flushed and flustered. "Oh, my! Prince Frey, it is of no consequence at all! I am glad to be of service!" Hastily, she went towards the four.

"Please," Erza said, bowing.

"I would like to borrow your hand for a moment, dear," the woman said pleasantly.

"Of course." Without further ado, Erza offered up her hand. Natsu, Gray, and Happy inched a little closer, curious as to what would happen.

"You say you can use magic?" the woman asked with a hint of bewilderment to her tone.

Erza gave a nod.

"How is that possible, when you do not have a Rune? Perhaps that is why you cannot use them at the moment. Have you lost it anywhere?"

Erza looked uncertain. "I… have not used a Rune in my life. It is only when my companions and I have… travelled here that our magic has stopped working."

"Hmm… But wait, I can sense something from inside you," the woman mused, her eyes focused. "Then let us try this: focus the magic power inside of you into this hand of yours. Do not let  _anything_  come to mind, only focus on that power and assemble them on this one point. Do you understand?"

Erza gave a determined nod. "Yes, ma'am." She then closed her eyes and immediately did as she was told.

For a few moments, nothing happened. Gray, Natsu, and Happy were staring so hard at Erza's hand that they felt like their eyeballs were going to pop out. Frey, Lyon, and Kyle were on the other side of Erza, also curious as to how things would unfold.

After what seemed like an eternity, it happened.

Erza's body glowed red, as if millions of particles of magic gathered and enveloped around her form. It was then that they slowly moved towards the focal point which was Erza's right hand, assembling and accumulating at that same place.

All of them saw what looked like a red gem absorbing itself into Erza's hand, and then disappearing.

The woman grinned. "How do you feel?" she asked. "Do you feel your Rune now, young lady?"

Erza blinked. This magic felt completely foreign, as if it were an alien cell in her body. But, at the same time, it felt  _fulfilling_ , as if she felt like something levelled up inside of her.

Quickly, she lifted her right arm. " _Requip_!" she exclaimed, along with a consequent red glow on her hand.

Then gold light coalesced into her skin and brought forth a stunning look to her appearance.

Almost every part of her armour was seemingly made of silver metal. The upper part of the armour only consisted of a small breastplate that was composed of feather-shaped plates pointing upwards with a large metal flower on the front which extended along her hips. Her biceps were covered by metal straps and her very large plated gauntlets sported feather-shaped plates at the edges.

Her waist was circled by large, decorated plates reminiscent of feathers that lie on a long skirt. She wore a pair of plated boots which was partially hidden under her skirt, each sporting metal ornaments shaped like wings. She also wore a neck guard made of feather-like plates and a tiara with prominent metal wings. The armour also sported two pairs of large metal wings which adorned her back, composed of metal feathers which got longer and larger at the edges.

"Oh,  _wow_!" Lyon gushed, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "Your Rune is  _magnificent_ , Lady Erza!"

Kyle whistled. "A rockin' bod, I'll say."

" _Whoa_! I'll try it, too!" Natsu said excitedly, already in the middle of focusing his magic into his hand.

"What a magnificent Rune!" the vendor exclaimed in awe. "I have never seen such magic like that before! Where did you get it, young lady?"

Erza's smile was soft. "I've had it ever since I was a child."

"Oh yeah!" Natsu's boisterous voice interjected, his fists glowing with flames. "My power's back!"

"And mine as well," Gray said, smirking as he conjured an ice symbol of Fairy Tail.

" _Yahoo_ ~!" Happy cheered as wings spurted out magically from his back, allowing him to fly back and forth across the room.

Frey, Lyon, and Kyle's mouths were agape with fascination as they watched their comrades' bubbling excitement at having their magic back. Then, realizing his manners, the prince turned to the vendor, giving her a small, grateful smile as he did so.

"I thank you for your most helpful association," he told her formally, bowing in respect.

"Oh, my! Prince Frey! You need not bow to such a lowly servant like me!" the woman assured him hastily. "I am glad to be of service!"

"Thanks again," Lyon said, bowing to her too before they all went out of the shop.

"Happy, perhaps it would be best if you perch on Natsu's shoulder again for the meantime and dispel your magic," Erza told the cat after promptly making her own requip form disappear. "This world is different from ours; some citizens here might become wary if they see magic that is not usually of their own."

Happy deflated a bit, but obeyed. "Aw, I was just getting into it, too…"

"The lady Erza  _does_  have a point, little fur ball," Kyle interjected, already having moderately figured out who these foreigners were. Then, his face turned glum. "That Rune Shop babe wasn't there! Ugh…"

"Kyle…" Lyon sighed, about to scold him when all of them suddenly heard an angry yell.

"Oh, yeah?! Well, you can  _go to hell_!"

" _What_  did you just say to me?!"

Then a woman's scream.

And a man's. " _Hey_! Somebody's going to get hurt! Quit it!"

Kyle's eyes narrowed and he turned to Frey. "Hey, Prince, I'm gonna go check this out. Lyon, can you watch him for a minute?"

Before Frey could get a chance to reply, Kyle was already dashing towards the direction of the uproar, leaving the young prince in a state of contemplation.

"Huh, what could the commotion be about?" Gray wondered aloud.

"Is it a fight?!" Natsu said excitedly, cracking his knuckles. "If it is, then I'll—"

"I'm going, too" was what Frey said in determination before running after Kyle, surprising Erza as he passed her by.

"Hey! Prince?" Lyon cried, flabbergasted, yet still followed him dutifully.

"H—Hey! We're coming, too!" Natsu yelled before he, Gray, and Erza followed suit.

When they got there, there was a small crowd of onlookers overseeing what seemed to be six men erupting into a huge disagreement. There were exactly six of them, with three at each opposing side.

" _Prince_?!" Kyle exclaimed in surprise, who had already been fingering the hilt of his sword.

"Hey, what's happenin' here?" Natsu said, catching up to them.

"What's going on?!" Lyon almost demanded.

Kyle gave a wry smile as he turned back to the arguing men. "It's called a fight, Lyon. Heh. They look old enough to know better…"

One thug was roaring, "No one talks bad about the Queen! Not in our town! We're gonna kill ya!"

"Yeah, just try it!  _Come on_!"

Kyle looked faintly amused. "At least they're fighting for a 'noble cause', eh?" He turned towards Frey, who was looking at the fight in contemplation. "Your Highness, how do you want to handle this?"

"I say we go pound them to a pulp!" Natsu exclaimed, still eager for a fight.

"Go, Natsu!" Happy cheered.

Gray sighed, grabbing Natsu by the collar. "Is fighting all you ever think about?"

"…The patrol guards can handle it," Frey said softly.

" _Whaaaat_?! We can't get to try some action?!" Natsu complained.

"Natsu, have you forgotten that he is the prince of this country?" Erza said sternly. "He must maintain proper decorum despite any odds so his family won't lose face."

Natsu frowned. "That sounds boring. Everybody's gotta have freedom of their own!"

Lyon stepped up. "It's also because the Prince doesn't like conflict. He's a non-confrontational person," she said gently, looking at Frey's direction. "Besides, this isn't something for the Prince to handle by himself."

Kyle looked the slightest bit disappointed. "Yeah, you're probably right, Prince. If we butt in, you might get hurt. Too bad, though…"

"Besides, they're making a lot of noise. The patrol guards ought to come running any second now…" Lyon said.

The sound of rushed footsteps met their ears, and they turned to see uniformed men coming their way.

"Well, well, speak of the devil…" Kyle said. "Let's leave the rest to them."

The guards wasted no time in apprehending the causes of the ruckus.

"Hey, that hurts!  _Dammit_! Let go of me!"

"Just relax and keep quiet!" a patrol guard snapped at his charge.

"It wasn't  _our_  fault!" one thug tried to negotiate. "Those guys hit us first!"

"Yeah, yeah. You can tell us all about it in the guard room.  _Move_!"

Kyle finished speaking with a guard and ran back to the others. "Well, I found the gist of it," he said, turning towards the direction where the thugs were being dragged away. "Apparently, those guys with the swords were ex-mercenaries from Stormfist. They got smashed at the tavern and started badmouthing the Queen. That pissed off some other customers, and there you have it."

Lyon shook her head. "They were wrong to insult the Queen, but that's no reason to start a brawl..."

"It's not just the nobles who are on edge these days. That kind of tension always spills out into the streets," Kyle said.

Lyon turned to Frey. "Prince, we don't want anything else to happen. Should we head back?"

"Yeah. That beautiful Rune mistress isn't around today anyway…" Kyle sighed.

Lyon glared at him.  _"Kyle…"_

"Okay, okay." Kyle held up his hands as a form of surrender.

As they walked, Frey, Lyon, and Kyle still allowed the four mages to see the sights.

Then Gray was stopped by a woman.

"You look a little like my son," she told him with a small smile.

"Uh… Really?" Gray said dumbly, not knowing what else to say.

The woman continued on. "My husband… I lost him in the fighting. Her Majesty's done everything she can to help widows like me, and orphans as well. Her kindness has been such a blessing." Her eyes dimmed. "So… I can't understand why our gentle Queen would do that to Lordlake."

Gray said his goodbye and frowned as he caught up with Natsu and the others.  _The Sun Rune…_ he thought to himself.  _It must be pretty powerful. And the Queen was hailed as a benevolent ruler by many of her people, but started to change after equipping that Rune._

_Why… won't she take it off, then?_

Gray knew better than to bring this up with Frey and Lyon. He knew that it was sort of a sensitive topic for them no matter how kind they both were.

He felt sorry for Frey. It must hurt knowing that his mother was under the judgement of so many people, including even her own soldiers.

An old townsman was talking to Frey."Far be it for me to say anything against your grandparents, Your Highness… But Queen Falzrahm wasn't the best of queens, and her husband, Kauss, had about as much clout as a mouse. Even so, Queen Arshtat and Lady Sialeeds have both grown up to be fine women. Yup, fine women  _indeed_! I don't mean to be rude, but it's kind of like a donkey giving birth to a dragon horse!"

Gray did not miss the troubled look on Frey's face.

They went back to the Sun Palace.

* * *

•••

* * *

In the Queen's chambers, Arshtat herself was sitting in her desk, looking downcast. Her tea was already getting cold; the cup untouched for almost half an hour.

"Oh, sire!" the lady-in-waiting exclaimed from the doors. "Her Majesty the Queen is…"

Ferid's expression was serious. "I know. But until I leave, don't let anyone disturb us, no matter who it is."

"Y—Yes, certainly, Your Majesty," the young woman said, bowing before going out to give the royal couple privacy.

"Arshtat, I'm here!" Ferid announced, effectively drawing Arshtat from her somber mood.

"Ferid…" she said, slowly standing up from her seat.

"Poor dear…" Ferid said, placing a warm hand on his wife's shoulder. "I thought you'd look like this…"

"Like what? Do I really look that bad?" Arshtat's mood seemed to plummet even more.

Ferid smiled charmingly. "No, of course not. You're as beautiful as ever. I still wish I could just freeze time and stare at your face…" Then his expression turned into concern. "But all I see is worry now."

"Oh, Ferid…" Arshtat said weakly.

"Are you worried about Frey?"

"Yes, both of the children… and Sialeeds, too." Arshtat sighed. "I'm a terrible sister, I'm a worse mother…"

Ferid frowned. "Arshtat, you know that's not true."

"Visiting Lordlake — in my place — that must have been such an ordeal for Frey… I had such kind words prepared for his welcome home…" There was a deep, brief silence before she erupted. "And look at what I did! Look at what I  _said_  to him! To my sister, to my Knights… I couldn't control myself! I couldn't stop thinking, ' _I am right! I am infinite justice! Those who sin against me must be punished!_ '" She looked at her husband with pleading eyes. "It comes out of  _nowhere,_  Ferid. It takes me over… Just like that time two years ago…"

Ferid stepped closer to her, still frowning, but now distaste coloured his mood as he somewhat glared at the red Rune mark on his wife's forehead. "The Sun Rune. Just like we thought."

"Yes…" Arshtat averted her eyes, not finding it in herself to look at her husband. "The old legends say the Sun Rune seduces its possessor's soul. I didn't believe it. I couldn't afford to. But now…"

"You should just have that Rune removed once and for all!" Then Ferid's expression softened as Arshtat looked at him. "…I know, I know. You can't, right?"

Arshtat's face held a hint of stubbornness in it. "Not yet. If I had it removed right now, I'd be playing right into Lord Godwin's hands. It wasn't to punish Lordlake that I took the Rune up in the first place, after all…" She took a deep breath. "But I did. I lost control, I used it, and I was wrong,  _completely_  wrong. I am prepared to live with that responsibility. But my children shouldn't suffer for my sins…"

Ferid gave her a reassuring smile. "They're young. They'll understand someday."

"Ferid…"

"Our children, your sister… They're strong. Have faith in them."

"Ahh… But I really am a terrible sister, a terrible mother… Here I am, blessed with such a wonderful husband and children… And what thanks do I give? I forbid my sister to marry. I try to marry my daughter off to some noble's son whether she likes it or not…"

"That's all part of being the Queen of Falena, my dear." Ferid smiled. "Of course, if it's more than you can bear, we can always run off in the night… Surely I have what it takes to feed my family, even without all the gold and jewels…"

"Ah ha ha…! There you go, trying to tempt me again," Arshtat said, finally smiling. "It does sound nice… But we can't run away just yet. Not with Lord Godwin hungering for the throne. We can't let Falena fall to the likes of him!"

"True…" Ferid said, frowning.

* * *

•••

* * *

Deep shades of orange, red, brown, and yellow coloured the sky; the setting sun was dipping low into the horizon, bringing with it night in its wake.

Five people were staring at the sunset in different places.

"It's been a long time since we've seen the sunset from here, hasn't it?" Lyon said warmly, coming up from behind Frey.

Frey only nodded, looking at her as she stared at the sky.

"Prince…" she spoke. "I promise to protect you, now and always, no matter what. I'm sure you're going to be taking even more important duties in the future. I don't want you to have to do anything dangerous, but there will probably be times when you can't avoid it." Then Lyon turned to him, her eyes set with pure determination. "So that's why… That's why I'll  _always_  be by your side! No matter what happens, I'll protect you!" Then she looked away. "And maybe that will help repay Ferid's kindness, too, for taking me in as an orphan and raising me…"

Frey smiled. "Thank you, Lyon."

Lyon brightened at his words. "Thank  _you_!"

And they watched the sunset together peacefully.

* * *

•••

* * *

From her window, Erza watched the same sky with dimmed eyes.

 _Jellal_ …

* * *

•••

* * *

Shades of red shone upon Gray's face, his head down as he remembered the past.

 _Ul_ …

* * *

•••

* * *

Natsu looked out the window, his expression taking on a determined seriousness. Happy slept beside him.

 _Igneel_ …

* * *

•••

* * *

The next day, the Queen summoned them.

Frey, Lyon, Georg, Sialeeds, and the five mages gathered together before Arshtat. Natsu, Gray, Happy, and Erza were confused as to why  _they_  were summoned as well.

"Now, then, Prince Frey," Arshtat said with a smile, "my sister Sialeeds… I wish for you to proceed to Stormfist and supervise the preparations for the Sacred Games. Queen's Knight Georg Prime, Queen's Knight apprentice Lyon, I order you to escort them. You five as well," Arshtat added with an amused glint in her eyes as she surveyed the reactions of the mages.

"I'm counted as an individual person!" Happy cheered.

"You got it," Gray said with a grin.

"Yeah, an adventure!" Natsu exclaimed.

Erza looked pained and bowed before the Queen…  _after_  knocking the three of them out. "I apologize for their rudeness, Your Majesty, and yes, we shall protect the Prince with all our efforts!"

"That is good to hear." Still smiling serenely, Arshtat continued on. "In one week, the day before the opening ceremony, Lymsleia and I will arrive in Stormfist ourselves. Until then, you will be my representatives. Remember that. And, although it is quite impractical to have so many of you guard the Prince and my sister, it is necessary. Ferid has already given me the background of the mages, and I feel that I can trust them with your safety, especially considering the fact that you all are already getting close to one another.  _However_ , if more of you from your world,  _and_ , by a stretch of possibility, from  _other_  worlds which we don't know of as well, are also here yet with ill intentions, we will need all the help we can get."

"Understood," Erza said firmly. "We will not fail you."

"I am glad we understand each other," Arshtat said pleasantly. "Let our mercy, as deep as the Feitas, and our authority, as powerful as the sun, be revealed to the entire world!"

"Let our mercy, as deep as the Feitas, and our authority, as powerful as the sun, be revealed to the entire world!" everybody except the five confused mages chorused.

When it was over, Natsu spoke up.

"Oh… We were supposed to repeat all that?"

* * *

•••

* * *

Before they could leave the Sun Palace, however, a yell stopped them.

"Frey!" Lymsleia called out, running over to them. " _Frey_! You're leaving again, aren't you…? How come everybody else gets to go with you, and all  _I_  get to do is see you off?  _No fair_!"

"That's the way it goes when you're just a kid," Sialeeds teased.

Lym grumbled something under her breath.

Lyon looked awkward. "Lady Sialeeds…"

"The Prince, Lady Sialeeds, and Lyon are going on business, Princess. You understand that, don't you?" Miakis reminded her charge.

Ferid stepped forward. "That's right, Lym.  _Very_  important business."

Lym looked at him with pleading eyes. "But, Father…"

Ferid turned to his son. "Frey, I want you to remember that inspecting the preparations for the Sacred Games is only your official duty. What's most important is that you spend time among the people, learning more about them. In a way, the Sacred Games symbolize all of Falena. All of its virtues, all its faults — all right there at once." Ferid smiled. "Experience it all for yourself! That's your mission as our Prince and as my son."

Frey nodded. "All right, father."

"All right! Now, safe journey!" He patted his son's shoulder. "And that goes for you as well, Lyon."

Lyon looked startled. "Y—Yes, Your Majesty! I'll guard the Prince with everything I have, I guarantee it!" she told him, bowing.

Ferid looked mildly amused. "Not just that. Well, yes,  _do_  that, but… Take care of yourself while you're at it."

"M— _Myself_?" Lyon echoed.

"I care about you, Lyon. You're practically my third child, you know." Ferid looked at her warmly. "As I see it, I'm entitled to a little fatherly concern now and again."

Lyon blushed a little in happiness. "Oh… Your Majesty…!" She bowed to him again gratefully. "Th—Thank you very much, sire!"

Tears were streaming freely down Erza and Natsu's faces.

"Th—That's so  _touching_!" they chorused, dabbing at their faces with handkerchiefs.

Gray and Happy were sniffing. "Such a beautiful father-daughter relationship!" they agreed.

Sialeeds chuckled at their display.

"Now, now. That's enough of that bowing," Ferid said.

"Yes, sire!" Lyon said dutifully, straightening her posture.

"Sialeeds, Georg, mages," Ferid addressed them, "watch over the young ones."

"You got it," Georg said.

Sialeeds gave a small smile. "You really think the kids still need a chaperone? Well, if it's you and Arshtat asking me, what can I say, huh? One babysitter, reporting for duty."

Ferid nodded. "Good. All right, then, Frey, good luck!"

"We'll be coming to join you in one week!" Lym promised. "Until then, you'd better take care of yourself…  _or else_!"

Miakis saluted them playfully. " _Bon voyage_!"

* * *

•••

* * *

"So, do you guys want to forge your weapons?" Lyon asked the mages as they arrived at the plaza.

"Weapons? Nah, don't need 'em," Natsu said dismissively.

"The weapons we use are our own magic," Gray explained.

"Oh? That's unusual," Sialeeds spoke up. "Even some powerful mages use weapons. In our world,  _all_  of us use weapons. They may be concentrated with magic or used as medium for offensive or defensive magic."

" _I_  use weapons," Erza told them. "These two, however…" She gestured towards Natsu and Gray. "…don't."

"Hey, hey, Natsu," Happy spoke up. "I have an idea! Maybe you and Gray should have weapons of your own to blend in and avoid suspicion!"

"But I don't know how to use any weapon," Natsu muttered.

"I sometimes use a sword made out of my ice, but I always don't use it for long," Gray said.

"Wait! Natsu, you always use your fists, right?" Happy interjected.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with—"

"We can get you some knuckle gloves and get them forged at the blacksmith's here in town," Lyon suggested.

Natsu immediately brightened. "Cool! Let's go now!"

"Gray," Georg spoke up. "I could teach you the way of the sword if you want."

Gray looked startled. "Uh… sure. Why not? Thanks."

"All right, so let's go get your weapons," Sialeeds said, already heading towards the direction of the weapon shop. "We still have a lot of time before the ship leaves the docks, so let's make the most of it."

After buying (much to Gray and Natsu's (not so much in his case) embarrassment at constantly being given items for free) the knuckle gloves and a samurai sword, the party went to the blacksmith's in order to get them forged.

Lyon's sword,  _Deutzia_ , and Frey's  _Twilight Nunchaku_ , were forged to level three as well as Natsu and Gray's new weapons. Georg's  _Iai_  sword,  _Wind_ , was already forged to level three, so Erza and Sialeeds opted to have their weapons levelled up as well.

After their weapons were polished and ready for battle, Frey stopped at a trading post.

"What's the matter, Prince?" Lyon asked.

"The price of salt will skyrocket soon," Frey said. "I'll need to buy four before the price rises."

"How do you know that?" Georg asked.

"People are buying more salt recently," Frey explained easily. "If that keeps up, the sellers will raise the price in order to gain more profit. Then, if the demand for salt decreases, they will decrease the price once again in order to sell."

Sialeeds chuckled pleasantly. "My nephew truly is an impressive prince. But what do you want to do with those salts you'll buy?"

"If the price skyrockets, I'll sell about ten of them in order to alleviate the price once more," Frey answered.

"…That's quite a good market strategy you've got there," Georg said, sounding impressed. "You've gone a really long way, Frey."

Frey looked at him and smiled. "Thank you, Georg."

When Frey and Lyon went inside the shop, Sialeeds let out a sigh.

"He's a wonderful prince, but the townspeople don't really take him too seriously," she said, sounding a little bitter. "This  _is_  a Queendom after all. Male heirs aren't important here."

"Yeah, we heard some nobles badmouthing him in the Palace," Gray muttered, feeling sorry for Frey.

"They did? Ugh, those old men really have no sense of decency these days…"

"That Kyle dude scared them off though," Natsu said, laughing. "He sent them running through the halls!"

Georg smirked. "Sounds just like Kyle to do that."

Another old-looking townsman was talking to Frey after a few minutes of walking. "The Godwin and Barows factions… They're just lucky the Queen's too kind to smite them both! They've been scheming and plotting behind the scenes for generations! It's a disgrace! Does it make you as sick as it makes me, Your Highness?"

Frey bade the man goodbye with polite words, but his expression was becoming more and more troubled.

After finishing things up in the town, the party headed for the pier where their ship was already waiting for them.

Natsu looked dangerously green. "No… Not transportation again…" he moaned.

" _I_  can remedy that," Erza said, stepping up.

Natsu's eyes widened. "What—Erza,  _NO_ —!"

Erza had already knocked him out with one blow and hoisted him on her shoulders without great effort.

Happy froze. " _Natsu_!"

Georg whistled. "A strong woman," he remarked.

"Um… Is he going to be okay?" Lyon asked unsurely.

"Nah. He'll live," Gray said casually.

Before they could climb up the ship, though, a yell stopped them in their tracks.

"Oh, Prince, there you are!" Kyle's familiar voice rang out. " _Finally_!"

" _Kyle_?" Lyon questioned as the blond Queen's Knight ran right in front of them.

"Oh, no. Don't tell me you're coming, too," Sialeeds said in slight dread.

Kyle chuckled. " _Ha_! I wish. Nah, I just came to see you off. I still say they should have sent me along, but hey…"

Sialeeds smiled. "Now, Kyle, you know we can't take Lord Barows' greatest fan into Lord Godwin's hometown…"

"Oh, yeah, but it's perfectly fine to bring along his son's ex—" Kyle immediately cut himself off at feeling a dangerous aura. "Hey! How about the weather? …Seriously, though. You think everything's gonna be all right out there?" he said, falling into a serious mood.

"What do you mean?" Lyon asked curiously.

"I mean, it's kind of like going into enemy territory, isn't it?" Kyle said.

Sialeeds closed her eyes for a moment. "Hey, don't say that. Lord Godwin's not the Queen's most loyal subject, but he  _is_  her subject."

Kyle still looked unconvinced. "Yeah,  _for now_! I mean, what if he ends up throwing you all in the dungeon and holding you hostage or something?"

"He won't," Georg said simply. "We should all wish he were  _that_  predictable."

"He knows what it means to make Arshtat mad. He's seen it. Like  _we_  have," Sialeeds added. "He wouldn't stake his whole town on one stupid move."

Kyle finally relented. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I  _hope_  you're right. But hey, watch yourselves out there, huh? Especially you, Prince."

Frey nodded. "I will. Thanks."

Kyle nodded back. "Good. You be careful too, Lyon."

Lyon smiled. "Yes, of course!"

"Fine. Enjoy your trip, stay safe, and if you see this cute brunette, about five-foot-four…" He saw Lyon's glare and flinched. "Ah, never mind. Go!"

* * *

•••

* * *

The waters of the Feitas was sparkling and beautiful. Erza and Gray watched as the fishes jumped out of the water, their fins and scales a little different from their own world.

Happy was drooling.

"This is such a nice wind, isn't it?" Lyon said, grinning.

"Yes, if it keeps up like this, we should reach Stormfist by tomorrow afternoon," Sialeeds said, leaning against the railing.

"Nice we can go almost anywhere by ship, even though this is an inland nation," Georg remarked.

"Yeah, thank goodness for the Feitas River," Sialeeds agreed. "But the convenience of the river has its disadvantages, too. I mean, we've been doing nothing but travelling lately! If we didn't have the Feitas, I bet we wouldn't have to take trips all over the place."

Georg grunted. "Hmph, don't know about that. The Queen doesn't exactly strike me as the merciful type…"

Lyon shook her head. "No, you're wrong about the Queen. Her Majesty is really very kind. Right, Prince?"

Frey nodded. "Right."

"That's right," Sialeeds agreed. "It may be a bit strange for me to say, but Arshtat was a very gentle and good Queen."

Georg folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah, I can tell. Everybody in town loves her, and Ferid obviously loved her enough to marry her. But, if you ask me, though, she seems kind of…  _unstable_  at the moment."

Sialeeds let out a sigh. "I'm not surprised. From your point of view, you've only known Arshtat since she acquired the Sun Rune."

"So, she was…  _different_  before?"

By now, Gray, Erza, and Happy were tuning in to their conversation.

Lyon's expression turned sad. "Yes, after getting the Sun Rune, Her Majesty changed."

Sialeeds' mood turned somber as well. "And… I think it's getting gradually worse. I'm really worried."

There was a deep silence for a moment before Georg and Lyon suddenly jolted and readied their weapons.

Erza and Gray also looked wary.

Sialeeds tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong, Georg?"

"Lady Sialeeds, watch out!" Lyon warned.

"Both of you, get away from the side of the ship!" Georg barked out.

"Erza…" Gray said, his Rune already glimmering. "This presence…"

"I know," Erza replied, closing her eyes. "Happy, watch over Natsu."

"Aye, sir!" Happy saluted, flying over to his partner.

"Something's coming!" Lyon said, still alert to her surroundings.

It was then that the ship rocked, causing Sialeeds to grab the railing so as to not let herself fall.

And then a creature jumped onto their center.

It looked like a reptile, and was more slimy than it appeared. Its skin was the colour of cream but with red markings on some parts.

Georg gritted his teeth. "What the  _hell_  is that?"

"No!  _No_!" Sialeeds suddenly shrieked, moaning in both fear and disgust. "I  _hate_  lizards!"

Georg moved fast. He sliced the zadom with his sword, causing the creature to screech in pain. Lyon followed up with two consecutive swings of her  _nagamaki_ , supported by Frey who sent the zadom flying with his nunchakus. Because of Georg's initial devastating blow, the zadom was weakened, thus it finally collapsed to the ground, motionless.

On the other side, Gray and Erza were fighting their own battle.

"Who the  _hell_  are you?!" Gray gritted out as he froze the arm of the assailant.

The hooded man easily broke out of the ice and grinned, his white, sharp canines almost distinguishable in the shadows.

"Finally found you…  _fairies_."

**tbc**

**:**

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**:**

* * *

**EXTRA [OMAKE]**

* * *

"Hey, Natsu, come to think of it…" Happy said, looking thoughtful. "Gray hasn't stripped once since we got here, right?"

"Hey, you're right, Happy!" Natsu exclaimed, eyes as wide as saucers. "What  _could_  be the reason?!"

They then began to observe Gray.

After a few minutes, Gray was unconsciously fumbling with his shirt. Natsu and Happy watched closely.

It was then that Erza magically appeared by his side and poked her sword at Gray's back.

" _Don't even plan on it_ ," she said ominously, an aura of death enveloping her.

Gray instantly turned to stone.

Natsu and Happy shrieked in terror.

Needless to say, the three of them were pretty traumatized.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the conversion: So, basically, in order for Team Natsu to use their magic in the Suikoden universe, they have to "convert" their magic into Runes, the process in which I just simplified into accumulation and concentration because it would be too technical if I go into much detail.
> 
> About Frey and Lyon: Er, not really a fan of their pairing, but since they're always together… Well, no choice. I don't have anything against them, though, so don't mind me.
> 
> About the late update: Sooo sorry! After starting the second semester of my third year in college, things have been pretty hectic. Though I've finally managed to get this update out! Thanks for still reading this story!
> 
> About their ages: Natsu is 17 (supposedly XD), Gray is 18, Erza is 19, Frey and Lyon are 16, and Lym is 10. Just in case you want to know. So this means that Frey and Lyon are the youngest ones next to Lymsleia.
> 
> About the salt price: Huh. I just got the idea from my economics teacher and he explained it or whatever, but I'm not sure if I conveyed it correctly, so correct me if I'm wrong.
> 
> About the description for Erza's armour: Got it from Fairy Tail wiki because there's no way I could describe it in perfect detail. Lol


End file.
